Patents Examined by Roger L Pang
  • Patent number: 10919515
    Abstract: A device and a method of controlling a transmission of a vehicle may include a determining device that compares road information related to a first road section corresponding to a road section on which the vehicle is currently traveling and a second road section disposed ahead of the first road section to determine a gradient of the second road section, a calculating device that determines an increase amount of a gradient-inducing resistance based on a difference between gradients of the first road section and the second road section according to a determination result from the determining device, and a controller that compares the increase amount of the gradient-inducing resistance with a reference value to perform transmission control and engine torque control based on comparison of the increase amount of the gradient-inducing resistance with the reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kwang Hee Park, Byeong Wook Jeon, Jae Chang Kook, Sang Jun Park
  • Patent number: 10914373
    Abstract: A transport apparatus includes: a driving source; an output shaft; and a power transmission device capable of performing power transmission between the driving source and the output shaft. The transport apparatus comprises a control device which controls the driving source and the power transmission device, wherein the power transmission device includes a connecting/disconnecting unit configured to control a fastened state in which the power transmission is performed, and a released state in which the power transmission is not performed, and wherein the control device controls the connecting/disconnecting unit based on a thermal history of the connecting/disconnecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Fumio Egashira
  • Patent number: 10914362
    Abstract: A modular hybrid transmission configurable between a 9-speed configuration and an 8-speed configuration includes first, second, third, and fourth planetary gear sets each having first, second, and third elements. Seven torque transmitting devices are each selectively engageable to interconnect one of the first, second, and third elements of one of the planetary gear sets directly with (i) one of the first, second, and third elements of another one of the planetary gear sets, (ii) a housing, or (iii) an input member. The seven torque transmitting devices are selectively engageable to establish nine forward speed ratios and at least one reverse speed ratio. Upon removal of a fourth torque transmitting device, the transmission is arranged in the 8-speed configuration and the remaining six torque transmitting devices are selectively engageable to establish eight forward speed ratios and at least one reverse speed ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Tejinder Singh, John C Collins
  • Patent number: 10906522
    Abstract: A road vehicle with hybrid drive having: at least one pair of drive wheels; an internal combustion engine; a reversible electric machine; and a dual-clutch transmission. The dual-clutch transmission has: a first primary shaft and a second primary shaft; a first clutch interposed between the internal combustion engine and the first primary shaft; and a second clutch interposed between the internal combustion engine and the second primary shaft; a third clutch, which is interposed between a shaft of the electric machine and the first primary shaft so as to connect/disconnect the shaft of the electric machine to/from the first primary shaft; and a fourth clutch, which is interposed between the shaft of the electric machine and the second primary shaft so as to connect/disconnect the shaft of the electric machine to/from the second primary shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: FERRARI S.P.A.
    Inventors: Renaud Marlier, Andrea Pezzati
  • Patent number: 10907715
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, gearing assemblies, and methods for controlling a differential rotation rate between shafts of a vehicle using a variable speed motor. An embodiment includes a gearing assembly including a differential configured to engage a first axle shaft, a second axle shaft, and a drive shaft of a vehicle. The gearing assembly further includes a plurality of adjustment gears configured to engage the differential, configured to be driven by a variable speed motor of the vehicle, and configured to controllably alter a rotation of the first axle shaft relative to the second axle shaft based on rotation produced by the variable speed motor. The plurality of adjustment gears includes a subassembly of planetary gears including a planetary gear carrier, a first set of planetary gears coupled to the planetary gear carrier, and a second set of planetary gears coupled to the planetary gear carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Inventor: Shaun Chu
  • Patent number: 10906547
    Abstract: A method can include: detecting a distance between the host vehicle and a preceding vehicle and a current speed of the preceding vehicle; calculating a relative speed of the host vehicle with respect to the preceding vehicle based on a current speed of the host vehicle and the detected current speed of the preceding vehicle; determining whether to activate an engine idle sailing (EIS) function, in which a driving gear of the host vehicle shifts to neutral, based on the relative speed of the host vehicle with respect to the preceding vehicle and the detected distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle; and in response to determining to activate the EIS function of the host vehicle, controlling operation of the host vehicle so as to activate the EIS function of the host vehicle, causing the driving gear of the host vehicle to shift to neutral.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Jason Hoon Lee, Sejun Kim, Byungho Lee, Jaihyun Lee, Kwangwoo Jeong, Sanghoon Yoo
  • Patent number: 10889350
    Abstract: The invention relates to a bicycle gearing, comprising: a cylindrical-gear gearing (10), which has a stationary sun gear (11) having a central bearing axis (y1) extending centrally therein and a planet gear (12), which travels on the sun gear (11) and rotates about a planet-gear bearing axis (y2); a four-bar linkage (20), which interacts with the cylindrical-gear gearing (10) and which comprises a crank (21), which is fixedly connected to the planet gear (12) and is rotatably connected to a pedal crank (22); and a toothed wheel (30), by means of which a traction means (31) can be driven. The problem addressed by the invention is that of improving a bicycle gearing of the type in question in such a way that a rounder pedaling feel is perceived by the bicycle rider. The problem is solved according to the invention in that the toothed wheel (30) has an oval shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Move Bikes GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Schubert, Tobias Sprote, Marcus Rochlitzer
  • Patent number: 10890250
    Abstract: A control apparatus of a continuously variable transmission includes a shifting controller and a detector. The continuously variable transmission includes a hydraulic pressure supplier and a continuously variable transmission unit. The continuously variable transmission unit is able to perform continuously variable shifting by a hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic pressure supplier. The shifting controller causes, when the detector detects an abnormality, the hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic pressure supplier to fall within a range that is equal to or greater than a first value and less than a second value. The first value is a value at which minimal operation performed by the continuously variable transmission unit is available. The second value is a value upon normal operation before the detector detects the abnormality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Koichiro Terai
  • Patent number: 10889185
    Abstract: A drive switching mechanism of a utility vehicle includes: a two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive switching device that switches between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive of the utility vehicle; and a control unit that controls the drive switching mechanism. The two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive switching device switches between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive by using a first clutch. The control unit permits the two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive switching device to switch from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive when a rotation difference of the first clutch becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Seiji Itoo, Ayumi Hamada, Manabu Hidaka, Masahiko Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 10875604
    Abstract: A shifting system for a human-powered vehicle comprises a controller. The controller is configured to receive a driving torque and a cadence of the human-powered vehicle from at least one sensor. The controller is configured to determine a permitted shift timing based on the driving torque and the cadence. The controller is further configured to control a shift mechanism to perform a gear shift during the permitted shift timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Shimano Inc.
    Inventors: Naoki Fujimoto, Takeshi Ueda, Tsuyoshi Fukumori
  • Patent number: 10875542
    Abstract: A device for controlling fail-safe for a vehicle includes a driving device that engages a clutch and a brake individually in a stopped state of the vehicle when a shift by wire system fails, and a controller that locks the engaged clutch and brake, and unlocks the clutch and the brake when a predetermined unlock manipulation pattern is input using a brake pedal and an accelerator pedal of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hyeon Jun Kim, Yong Hyun Kim, Kyung Su Kim
  • Patent number: 10876600
    Abstract: A multi-speed transmission having drive and output shafts, three front-mounted and two rear-mounted planetary gearsets, six shift elements which are selectively engaged to render a speed of the drive shaft and speeds generated in the front gearsets to achieve at least one reverse and twelve forward gears via at least one of the rear gearsets transmissible as the output shaft speed. Four shift elements are assigned to the front gearsets and two shift elements are assigned to the rear gearsets. At least one of the front gearsets is fixed to an element of the rear gearsets, resulting in six different output speeds of the front gearsets being transmissible to at least one of the rear gearsets. If normalized to the input speed of the drive shaft, one of the six output speeds is less than 0, four are between 0 and 1, and one is equal to 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Peter Ziemer, Kai Bornträger, Christoph Margraf, Andreas Beisswenger, Stefan Brom
  • Patent number: 10871195
    Abstract: A control device for a torque distributor provided with a control means acquiring a demand value of a torque distributed to second driving wheels (W3, W4) using a torque distributor (10) and outputs a command value (TR) of torque corresponding to the demand value of torque. When a variation per unit time (ND) of a differential rotation speed (NS) between a drive source (3) side and a second driving wheel side with respect to the torque distributor in a torque transmission path (20) is a predetermined first threshold (ND1) or more, the control means (60) performs a torque command value limit control controlling the torque command value to a predetermined limit value (TR1) or less. This can secure the running stability necessary for the vehicle by distributing an appropriate torque to the second driving wheels using the torque distributor, while enabling proper protection of components including the torque distributor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Masaru Komatsubara
  • Patent number: 10871201
    Abstract: A planetary transmission for transmitting drive power to a work machine, comprising a plurality of planetary gearwheels, a plurality of planetary shafts and at least one planetary carrier, the planetary gearwheels being arranged in each case rotatably on one of the planetary shafts, and the planetary shafts being fastened in each case to the planetary carrier, characterized in that the planetary carrier is configured for a releasable connection to a work machine shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: DESCH Antriebstechnik GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Hendrik Peter Desch, Markus Wilmes
  • Patent number: 10865856
    Abstract: A control apparatus for a drive-force transmitting apparatus that defines a first drive-force transmitting path that is to be established by engagements of a first frictional engagement device and a dog clutch and a second drive-force transmitting path in which a lower gear ratio is provided than in the first drive-force transmitting path. In a second running mode with the second drive-force transmitting path being established, the control apparatus places the dog clutch in a released state when a vehicle running speed is higher than a first speed value, and places the dog clutch in an engaged state when the running speed is not higher than the first speed value. Further, in the second running mode, the control apparatus inhibits the dog clutch from being switched to the released state when an accumulated heat quantity in a synchromesh mechanism of the dog clutch is larger than a first quantity value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kentaroh Okada
  • Patent number: 10857881
    Abstract: Provided herein is an electric tandem axle having a first drive axle assembly having a first differential assembly drivingly engaged with a first drive axle; a second axle drive assembly having a second drive axle drivingly engaged with a second differential assembly having a first axle output shaft and a second axle output shaft and an axle disconnect clutch; an inter-axle assembly is drivingly connected to the first axle drive assembly and the second axle drive assembly; a motor-generator in driving engagement with the first and second drive axle assemblies; a planetary drive unit including a selection clutch in driving engagement with the first differential assembly, the inter-axle assembly and the motor-generator; and a controller connected to the motor-generator, selection clutch and axle disconnect clutch. The controller is configured to selectively engage and disengage the selection clutch and axle disconnect clutch to facilitate different modes of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: DANA HEAVY VEHICLE SYSTEMS GROUP, LLC
    Inventor: Krishna Kumar
  • Patent number: 10857877
    Abstract: A planet carrier for a planetary gear transmission for driving a wheel includes a housing for accommodating a sun wheel and planet wheels of a planetary gear transmission. The housing has an inner end and an opposite outer end. The inner end of the housing is provided with an inner end wall having an opening for receiving a drive shaft for driving the sun wheel. The outer end of the housing is provided with an outer end wall having through holes for mounting the planet wheels axially into the housing in the direction from the outer end towards the inner end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Volvo Construction Equipment AB
    Inventors: Thomas Andersson, Lars Larsson, Ralf Nordström, Jonas Rubinsson
  • Patent number: 10859000
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system for rotating a fan (2) of a turbojet engine (1) about a first rotation axis ?, including a reduction gear (3) made up of a planetary gearset placed at the centre of the fan (2), which includes: a central sun gear (31); an outer planet gear (33) attached to the fan (2); at least one satellite gear (32) arranged between the central sun gear (31) and the outer planet gear (33) in order to transmit a rotary movement between the central sun gear (31) and the outer planet gear (33); characterised in that the outer planet gear (33) includes an inner portion (33a) which meshes with the satellite gear (32), as well as an outer portion (33b) to which blades (21) of the fan (2) are directly attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES
    Inventors: Guillaume Patrice Kubiak, Nils Edouard Romain Bordoni, Michel Gilbert Roland Brault, Romain Guillaume Cuvillier, Benoit Jean Henri Gomanne, Arnaud Nicolas Negri, Nicolas Xavier Trappier
  • Patent number: 10851879
    Abstract: A method of shifting gears including providing a driveline for a vehicle. The driveline has an electric drive motor and a powershift transmission. The transmission has a first transmission stage and a second transmission stage. The method includes performing a range shift including handing over torque transmission from a range clutch of the first or second transmission to the other range clutch. The method also includes, simultaneously with the range shift, engaging one of the direction clutches of one transmission or keeping one of the direction clutches engaged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: DANA BELGIUM N.V.
    Inventors: Jan A. Bedert, Koen B. Seynaeve, Dries C. T'Hooft
  • Patent number: 10830294
    Abstract: A clutch torque estimating method for a transmission of a vehicle may include inputting model engine torque to a powertrain model by a controller; inputting target clutch torque of a first clutch and target clutch torque of a second clutch to the powertrain model by the controller; inputting shifting information related to the vehicle to the powertrain model by the controller; correcting the powertrain model in real time by feeding back an engine angular velocity error, a clutch angular velocity error of the first clutch, a clutch angular velocity error of the second clutch, a wheel angular velocity error to the powertrain model by the controller; and estimating clutch torque of the first clutch and clutch torque of the second clutch by determining the powertrain model by the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jin Sung Kim