Patents Examined by Sherry Estremsky
  • Patent number: 8257226
    Abstract: A variable speed drivetrain for an electronic throttle body is disclosed. The system includes a gear arrangement for the drivetrain of the electronic throttle body that includes a driving gear, a set of driven gears and a set of intermediate gears. The system also includes a clutch that is configured to selectively engage with one of the driven gears according to the selected mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Brian Reynolds
  • Patent number: 8241160
    Abstract: A transmission for use in an electrically-driven bicycle and/or a scooter is disclosed, in which the transmission coupled with a motor is embedded together with the motor in a hub of a rear or front wheel. According to the transmission and a transmission method, the power generated from the motor or a pedal is outputted through a transmission device to a hub shell of the wheel. The output of the motor or other output of the motor which is subject to a reduction unit is used as the input of the transmission device. The ring gear and the hub shell are connected to each other with an output pawl, so that the power cannot be reversely inputted when the hub shell is rotated with a higher speed than the ring gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: MBI Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Tae-Jin Jung, Hyuk Yoo, Seong-Cheol An
  • Patent number: 8235859
    Abstract: Provided is a power transmission apparatus using a planetary gear having a plurality of gear trains. The apparatus includes: a housing including a cover which is open or closed, and a speed change locking unit which locks and releases selectively one of ring gears; a carrier installed inside the housing; a planet gear set including three or more different sized planet gears; a ring gear set including ring gears; a sun gear set including sun gears meshed with external teeth of the planet gears and having an output shaft which outputs power to an outside of the housing; and an input shaft which is aligned coaxially to the output shaft and rotates the carrier by external force transmitted from the outside of the housing. The input shaft extends out of the housing by passing through the shaft extension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Inventor: Keun Soo Yun
  • Patent number: 8235864
    Abstract: A method for operating a semi-automatic or automatic manual transmission of a heavy truck when driving at idle speed. The method includes supplying fuel to the engine of the heavy truck at a rate that facilitates engine-idle operation. In another step, the method engages the automatic or semi-automatic transmission in a gear higher than the starting gear of the transmission and permits the truck to operate at a first substantially uniform driving velocity under engine-idle power. Depending upon traffic and environmental requirements which require a slower or higher speed, the driver downshifts or upshifts the semi-automatic or automatic transmission by depressing a control pedal of the truck and then drives the truck at a second substantially uniform driving velocity under engine-idle power. For a downshift, the second substantially uniform driving velocity is less than the first substantially uniform driving velocity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB
    Inventors: Anders Eriksson, Sixten Berglund
  • Patent number: 8231502
    Abstract: A transmission is provided having an input member, an output member, a planetary gear set and a planetary gear set assembly, a plurality of coupling members and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. Each of the planetary gear sets includes first, second and third members. The torque transmitting devices include clutches and brakes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Andrew W. Phillips
  • Patent number: 8221283
    Abstract: A drive train connection has a shaft, a joint, particularly a constant velocity joint, and a coupling device. The coupling device is a planetary gear mechanism having a hollow wheel, at least one planet wheel and a sun wheel. The shaft and the sun wheel have corresponding locking means oriented in the axial direction. The sun wheel, together with the joint, can be screwed onto the shaft or unscrewed from the shaft by turning the hollow wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: IFA-Technologies GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Frank, Jonathan Lipp, Michael Willmann
  • Patent number: 8216111
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling torque includes a first torque transmitting mechanism and a second torque transmitting mechanism. The first torque transmitting mechanism is engageable to achieve a first gear ratio of the transmission. The second torque transmitting mechanism has an apply chamber that is pressurized at a first pressure level to achieve a first engaged position and is pressurized at a second pressure level to achieve a second engaged position. The first pressure level is less than the second pressure level and the second engaged position achieves a second gear ratio of the transmission. A controller is in communication with the first and second torque transmitting mechanisms. The controller includes a control logic for pressurizing the apply chamber of the second torque transmitting mechanism to the first pressure level if the first operating condition has exceeded a threshold operating condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Pruski, Gabriel Gibson, Steven B. Christ
  • Patent number: 8187132
    Abstract: When initial control ends, an ECU executes a program that includes the steps of: calculating a return control progression degree; calculating a target amount of change in turbine speed; calculating a feedback gain; calculating a target turbine speed; calculating a deviation between the target turbine speed and turbine speed NT; determining a hydraulic pressure command value; outputting the hydraulic pressure command; and when the turbine speed is synchronized with a first gear synchronization speed, outputting the maximum hydraulic pressure command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shingo Eto, Yoshio Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 8177681
    Abstract: A control device for a vehicular power transmitting apparatus, having engaging devices including a one-way clutch, is disclosed which prevents a locked state of the one-way clutch from causing the occurrence of slippages of other engaging devices to avoid a drop in durability of the engaging device. To achieve this object, engaging a plurality of engaging devices in combined operations allows a plurality of gear positions to be established. A shifting mechanism (vehicular power transmitting apparatus) 10 is provided wherein at least one of the plural engaging devices includes a one-way clutch F1. The shifting mechanism switches a method of selecting a gear position at S3 depending on a shift position of a shift lever 52, determined at S1, and a vehicle running direction determined at S2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tooru Matsubara, Atsushi Tabata, Masakazu Kaifuku
  • Patent number: 8177677
    Abstract: A multi-speed transmission for a vehicle is provided with a selectable one-way braking clutch (SOWBC). The transmission has one or more planetary gear sets, and a set of intermeshing gears, which may be a planetary gear set. Multiple torque-transmitting mechanisms are engagable in different combinations to establish at least one reverse speed ratio and multiple forward speed ratios between an input member and an output member. A selectable one-way braking clutch is configured to brake in one rotational direction and is selectively reversible to brake in an opposite rotational direction, and freewheels in some speed ratios.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Farzad Samie, Chunhao J. Lee
  • Patent number: 8177686
    Abstract: A method for controlling a vehicle torque converter lockup clutch during a deceleration coasting event includes producing slip across the clutch by reducing the clutch's torque capacity, decreasing said slip by increasing said torque capacity, and maintaining slip across the clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Scott P. Ries, Brian M. O'Neil, Bradley D. Riedle
  • Patent number: 8172711
    Abstract: A hydraulic control apparatus of an automatic transmission having engagement pressure solenoid valves configured to regulate an engagement pressure supplied to a hydraulic servo of a frictional engagement element and to output the engagement pressures from a predetermined number of the engagement pressure solenoid valves to establish respective transmission gear speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignees: Aisin AW Co., Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazunori Ishikawa, Kazuyuki Noda, Akihito Iwata, Yuhei Yoshioka, Tatsuya Kawamura, Koichi Miyamoto, Hideo Tomomatsu
  • Patent number: 8162801
    Abstract: A control system includes an auto-stop module, an auto-start module, and a starter module. The auto-stop module stops an engine when a brake pedal position is greater than a threshold position and a transmission is in a drive gear. The auto-start module starts the engine when the brake pedal position is less than a minimum position and the engine stop is initiated. When the engine start is initiated and an engine speed is greater than zero, the starter module engages a pinion gear of a starter with a ring gear of an engine by reciprocally actuating the pinion gear N times between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein N is an integer greater than two.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Inventors: Sharon Liu, Henry A. Hainer, Michael Simon, Joshua D Cowgill, Douglas R. Verner
  • Patent number: 8156835
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, a pair of side frames extending along a vehicle body, and a transmission adapted to be axially connected with the engine and transversely mounted on the vehicle body, including, an input shaft, an output shaft, a first counter shaft, a second counter shaft, a reverse shaft, a first gear mechanism, a second gear mechanism, a third gear mechanism, a reverse movement gear mechanism and a transmission case, wherein the first and second gear mechanisms are arranged relatively close to the engine, the third gear mechanism is arranged more remote from the engine than the second gear mechanism, the transmission case includes a back wall portion having a first back wall portion, a second back wall portion and a third back wall portion, thereby forming a cut-out portion at an upper portion of the back wall portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Aisin Ai Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8152685
    Abstract: A planetary drive servo actuator comprises a drive assembly operable to turn an output shaft. The drive assembly includes an outer cylinder configured to rotate within the housing and an inner cylinder configured to rotate within the outer cylinder. A clutch is operable to prevent the outer cylinder from rotating within the housing and to allow the inner cylinder to be rotated within the outer cylinder to turn the output shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Garmin International, Inc.
    Inventor: Perry L. Dinger
  • Patent number: 8137231
    Abstract: An automatic transmission for an electric vehicle hub includes an external motor rotor fixedly connected with a motor shaft; a sun gear; at least three first planet gears; and at least three second planet gears coaxially fixed with the corresponding first planet gears and which are engaged with the sun gear. The first and the second planet gears are respectively engaged with first and second internal gears, and the second internal gear has a diameter greater than that of the first internal gear. The rotating disk is arranged between the first internal gear and the second internal gear, and a hub is fixed to exterior of the rotating disk. The automatic transmission further includes a clutch device, making the rotating disk and the first internal gear contact with each other for a transmission of slower rpm, and when the rpm reaches critical, at a high-speed rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Fairly Bike Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Xiang-Yi Lin
  • Patent number: 8133150
    Abstract: A drive system with either a four-shaft epicyclic gearing consisting of two fixed links or one fixed link. A first shaft is coupled to an engine and a second shaft is connected to a first electric motor. The electric is coupled to the power supply of the industrial truck. A brake is coupled to a third shaft of the gearing , while a fourth shaft is coupled to a change gear. The change gear is coupled to a summing gear, the other input shaft connected to a second electric motor connected to the power supply. The output shaft is coupled to a driven wheel of the truck. A sensor device detects the speed of the engine and of the two motors. A control and regulating device sets the speeds and/or torque of the motors and of the engine according to setpoint signals and the output signals of the sensor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Jungheinrich Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Andreas Rogg
  • Patent number: 8105197
    Abstract: A device for use with a vehicle transmission system includes a housing having a clutch provided therein and a first member extending from the housing and configured for coupling to a vehicle differential. The first member includes a generally hollow tube configured to carry a rotatable shaft therein. The device does not include a second member for directly coupling the device to a transmission housing or to the differential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: GKN Driveline Newton, LLC
    Inventors: Bahman Haghshanas, Hans-Peter Nett
  • Patent number: 8092331
    Abstract: When the shift position is changed to the drive position, the amount of oil that is supplied to an automatic shift unit is increased by a larger amount as the standby hydraulic pressure is lower. Therefore, even if the standby hydraulic pressure is decreased, the required hydraulic pressure is more easily achieved when the shift position is changed to the drive position. Therefore, it is possible to decrease the standby hydraulic pressure without slowing down the response to the automatic shift unit to the hydraulic pressure and reducing the useful life of the automatic shift unit. Thus, the amount of electricity consumed by the electric oil pump is reduced. As a result, it is possible to enhance the fuel efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenta Kumazaki, Tooru Matsubara, Atsushi Tabata
  • Patent number: RE43315
    Abstract: The invention concerns a multi-step transmission with at least 7 forward gears, with which transmission on the input drive shaft (1), two non-shiftable input-side gear sets (RS1, RS2) are provided, which, on their output-side produce two speeds of rotation (n1, n2), which, besides the speed of rotation of the input drive shaft (1), by selective closure of the shift elements (A, B, C, D, E) are shiftable in such a manner to one of the output-side planetary gear sets (RS3, RS4) which upon the output drive shafts (2), that for the shifting from one into the respective next following higher or lower gear of the two activated shift elements, respectively, only one shifting element must be open and a further element closed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Peter Ziemer