Patents Examined by Ramya P Burgess
  • Patent number: 10113624
    Abstract: A torque-coupling device for coupling driving and driven shafts. The torque-coupling device comprises a casing having a locking surface, a torque converter, a locking piston having an engagement surface axially movable to and from the locking surface of the casing and a torsional vibration damper. The torsional vibration damper comprises a torque input member and a unitary radially elastic output member elastically coupled to the torque input member. The torque input member includes a radially oriented first retainer plate and at least one supporting member mounted thereto. The output member includes an output hub and an elastic leaf configured to elastically engage the supporting member upon rotation of the first retainer plate with respect to the output member. The output hub is configured for directly and non-rotatably engaging a driven shaft. The locking piston is non-rotatably connected to the torque input member of the torsional vibration damper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Valeo Embrayages
    Inventors: Xuexian Yin, Alexandre Depraete, Patrick Durham
  • Patent number: 10106024
    Abstract: A vehicle powertrain includes a manual transmission with an input shaft including a plurality of input gears and at least one main shaft including a plurality of driven gears engaged with the input gears. An engine includes a drive shaft drivingly connected to the input shaft via an engine disconnect clutch and a launch clutch. An electric motor is non-concentric with the input shaft and is drivingly connected to the input shaft via the launch clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATION LLC
    Inventors: Daryl A. Wilton, James M. Hart
  • Patent number: 10107373
    Abstract: A differential may include a metal plate interlocking with a pinion, and at least one permanent magnet fixable to a case of the differential to generate an eddy current in the metal plate upon a relative rotation of the metal plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Soo Chang Cho
  • Patent number: 10100922
    Abstract: A method of adjusting operating parameters of a transmission of a vehicle may include accessing a stored list of clutch parameters; performing a static condition procedure to revise the clutch parameters; and performing a dynamic condition procedure to further revise the clutch parameters. The method may be performed by a transmission control device for the vehicle, the vehicle having a powertrain including an engine, the transmission with a plurality of solenoid actuated friction elements, and sensors. The static condition procedure and dynamic procedures may be performed incrementally, and the static condition procedure may be performed more than once to fine tune the results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Baumann Electronic Controls, LLC
    Inventor: Karl William Baumann
  • Patent number: 10100879
    Abstract: A drive assembly for a motor vehicle clutch is provided. The drive assembly includes a subassembly includes at least one clutch facing and at least one support segment supporting the at least one clutch facing, the at least one support segment including an outer radial portion fixed to the at least one clutch facing and an inner radial portion extending radially inward from the outer radial portion; an extender connected to the inner radial portion of the at least one support segment; and a cover plate, the extender connecting the subassembly to the cover plate. A method of forming a drive assembly and a method of forming a plurality of drive assemblies are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Alfredo Jimenez
  • Patent number: 10099676
    Abstract: A drive system for a vehicle comprises two electrical machines arranged between a combustion engine and an input shaft to a gearbox. The first machine's rotor and the input shaft of the gearbox are each connected to a separate component of a planetary gear. The second electrical machine's rotor is connected with the output shaft of the combustion engine, which is connected with another component of the planetary gear. A first locking means may be moved between a locked position, in which the planetary gear's three components rotate at the same rotational speed, and a release position, allowing for different rotational speeds. A second locking means is moveable between a locked position, in which the output shaft of the combustion engine is locked together with the second machine's rotor and a release position, in which the combustion engine's output shaft is disconnected from the second machine's rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: SCANIA CV AB
    Inventors: Johan Lindström, Mathias Björkman, Mikael Bergquist, Niklas Pettersson
  • Patent number: 10100912
    Abstract: A vehicle differential assembly includes a differential housing including an outer surface and a driveshaft mounting end having a terminal end portion. A differential gear set is rotationally supported within the differential housing. A pinion gear is arranged in the differential housing. The pinion gear includes a head end drivingly connected to the differential gear set and a tail end extending through the driveshaft mounting end. A head bearing is arranged within the driveshaft mounting end. The head bearing supports the head end of the pinion gear. A tail bearing is supported by the outer surface of the differential housing. The tail bearing is configured and disposed to support the tail end of the pinion relative to the driveshaft mounting end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Jeffrey N. Heaton
  • Patent number: 10100909
    Abstract: A torque transmission device, particularly for a motor vehicle, comprises a torque input element (15, 17) and a torque output element (8) configured to pivot about an axis (X) with respect to one another, at least one elastic leaf (22), rotationally coupled to the torque output element (8) or to the torque input element (15, 17) respectively. The at least one elastic leaf (22) is configured to elastically and radially engage a supporting member (18) carried by the torque input element (15, 17) or the torque output element (8) respectively. The at least one elastic leaf (22) is configured to bend upon rotation of the torque input element (15, 17) with respect to the torque input element (8).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Valeo Embrayages
    Inventor: Patrick Durham
  • Patent number: 10093163
    Abstract: A drive module for a powertrain of a hybrid vehicle and a method for assembling the drive module for the powertrain of the hybrid vehicle, having a housing, a friction clutch with a pressure plate which is axially displaceable by means of an actuating arrangement, a clutch plate and with a clutch disk arrangement positioned therebetween, a hub, wherein this hub is fixedly connected to the clutch disk arrangement, and an electric machine which has a rotor with a rotor carrier and a stator which is fixed at a stator carrier. The axial arrangement or alignment of the clutch disk arrangement relative to the pressure plate and clutch plate is determined by an adjusting arrangement, wherein the adjusting arrangement is functionally arranged between the hub and a supporting element which is axially fixed to the housing of the drive module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Guido Schmitt, Sven Ludsteck, Florian Model
  • Patent number: 10094470
    Abstract: A method includes receiving a first shaft speed, measuring a parameter indicative of a PTO shaft speed, determining a PTO shaft acceleration by monitoring the parameter indicative of the PTO shaft speed over time, determining, via a plurality of estimators, a plurality of normalized PTO clutch gear ratios, wherein each of the plurality of estimators determines one of the plurality of normalized PTO clutch gear ratios based, at least in part, on the first shaft speed, the PTO shaft speed, and one of a plurality of known PTO transmission gear ratio options, and selecting one of the plurality of estimators, when the PTO shaft acceleration drops below a threshold value, wherein the normalized PTO clutch gear ratio determined by the selected estimator is about 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: CNH Industrial America LLC
    Inventors: Ashraf Mohammed Kandeel Omran, Brian Allen Hartman
  • Patent number: 10094427
    Abstract: A ball cam actuated dog clutch assembly for a motor vehicle transmission includes a clutch sleeve having a plurality of gear teeth positioned at a first end and multiple ball bearings disposed at a second end. A clutch hub having multiple helical grooves is created in an outer facing wall. Each of the helical grooves receives a portion of one of the ball bearings. An actuator member acts to rotate the clutch hub. Rotation of the clutch hub causes axial translation of the clutch sleeve in a selected one of a first direction or an opposite second direction by translation of the ball bearings within the helical grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Joseph Ralph Littlefield, Pete R. Garcia
  • Patent number: 10090732
    Abstract: The invention relates to a connecting structure for mechanical connection of a first housing with a second housing, whereby one face of the second housing has a hollow cylindrical recess for inserting the first housing; according to the invention it is provided that (i) the hollow cylindrical recess is formed of a ring-shaped collar, and (ii) for producing a frictional connection of the first housing with a second housing, the collar has at least one tensioning element, which in radial direction with respect to the collar is in active connection with the first housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: IMS GEAR SE & CO. KGAA
    Inventor: Dominik Bea
  • Patent number: 10088027
    Abstract: A torque converter, including: a cover to receive torque; an impeller including an impeller shell non-rotatably connected to the cover and an impeller blade; a turbine including a turbine shell and a turbine blade; a first vibration damper including a drive plate to receive torque from the cover, a first cover plate including first and second portions, a first spring directly engaged with the drive plate and the first portion of the first cover plate, and a second cover plate non-rotatably connected to the first cover plate, surrounding a portion of the first spring in a direction orthogonal to a longitudinal axis for the first spring, and including an opening; and a second vibration damper including a cover plate non-rotatably connected to the turbine shell, and a second spring directly engaged with the cover plate for the second vibration damper and with the second portion of the first cover plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES AG & CO. KG
    Inventors: Sean Metz, Justin Clark
  • Patent number: 10086906
    Abstract: Controlling automatic gear-changing of an electric gear-change apparatus of a bicycle, the method may involve assigning each of a plurality of gears of the bicycle a predetermined gearing range. Controlling the process may also involve assigning a predetermined lower limit value and a predetermined upper limit value to each gearing range, wherein the upper limit value of a gearing range is in each case larger by a predetermined value than the lower limit value of a next higher gearing range, and the upper limit value of the gearing range and the lower limit value of the next higher gearing range define between them an overlap range. Controlling the process may also involve selecting an engagement of either a gear or a next higher gear in the overlap range depending on a speed profile of the bicycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: SRAM, LLC
    Inventors: Sven Baumann, Egon Schmittfull, Uwe Seufert
  • Patent number: 10082206
    Abstract: A powertrain assembly includes a continuously variable transmission having a variator, an input member, an output member and a torque converter clutch. An input sensor configured to receive a signal from the input member. An output sensor is configured to receive a signal from the output member. The assembly includes a controller having a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which is recorded instructions for executing a method of controlling the continuously variable transmission. If the torque converter clutch is locked, the controller is programmed to obtain respective readings at predefined time intervals which are collected for the respective signals from the input sensor and the output sensor, until a predefined time window is reached. First and second fast Fourier transforms are obtained of the respective signals. The continuously variable transmission is controlled based at least partially on the first and second fast Fourier transforms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Chi-Kuan Kao, Chunhao J. Lee
  • Patent number: 10081240
    Abstract: A power transmission apparatus for a hybrid electric vehicle includes an input unit having three input shafts disposed with several input gears, a torque converting unit including a planetary gear set having rotational elements connected with the input shafts, and a shifting output unit for shifting torques received from the input shafts and outputting the shifted torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventors: Kyeong Hun Lee, Jong Soo Kim, Jong Sool Park, Dong Hwan Hwang
  • Patent number: 10077762
    Abstract: A power generation device includes a main shaft rotated by an external force, a speed-up gear, a high-speed shaft, a rolling bearing, a power generator, and a one-way clutch disposed between the output gear and the high-speed shaft. In a state where the main shaft is rotating in a positive direction, the one-way clutch integrally rotatably connects the output gear and the high-speed shaft to each other if a rotational speed of the output gear exceeds a rotational speed of the high-speed shaft, and breaks connection between the output gear and the high-speed shaft if the rotational speed of the output gear becomes lower than the rotational speed of the high-speed shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideki Fujiwara, Takeshi Takaki
  • Patent number: 10054222
    Abstract: A vehicle powertrain hydraulic system (10) includes a clutch (12), a piston (62) disposed in a cylinder (60) to drive a shift selector (14), a pump (82) in fluid communication with a fluid supply (86) to pressurize fluid, and first and second fluid pressure lines (91, 92) from the pump to first and second sides of the piston. A third fluid pressure line (93) may extend to the clutch from the cylinder in a location between the first and second sides of the piston, such that the piston also may be a valve to control fluid flow to the clutch. The pump may be reversible and coupled to an electric motor (80), and a centrifugal regulator (84) may be coupled to the motor and in fluid communication with the first and second pump pressure lines to regulate fluid pressure therein. A related operational method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: BorgWarner, Inc.
    Inventors: Donn W. Niffenegger, Larry A. Pritchard
  • Patent number: 10054171
    Abstract: A driving force transmitting apparatus includes a clutch drum having a cylindrical portion, an inner shaft having an end housed in the clutch drum, a friction clutch having outer clutch plates that rotate along with the clutch drum and inner clutch plates that rotate along with the inner shaft, a piston that presses the friction clutch, and a housing in which a first housing chamber housing the friction clutch is formed. The friction clutch is lubricated with a lubricant fed through an opening. The housing is provided with a storage chamber in which the lubricant scooped up by rotation of the clutch drum is stored and a lubricant supply hole which allows the lubricant stored in the storage chamber to be fed from inside the piston to the first housing chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shun Ohno, Takashi Hosokawa, Mikiharu Oyabu, Akio Matsumoto, Yoshinori Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10047856
    Abstract: A method for adjusting clutch fill command pressure for a transmission using a lubrication compensator model includes determining clutch fill line pressure and lubrication compensator model pressures, and adjusting the clutch fill command pressure to achieve the lubrication compensator model pressure based on the torque converter clutch status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Inventors: Kristopher J Kokko, Thomas Weglarz, Patrick M Gibson, Jason Jousma