Patents Examined by Sherry Estremsky
  • Patent number: 9381910
    Abstract: When a vehicle is to be started solely by a motor immediately after an engine is started or the shift position has been changed from N range to D range, a delay time for delaying pre-charge of first and second clutches is set in accordance with operating oil temperature. The pre-charge is executed after a lapse of the delay time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Daimler AG
    Inventor: Kunio Sakata
  • Patent number: 9360104
    Abstract: A vehicle includes axle housing, a differential and a ring gear, a scraper port, and a reservoir. The housing has a cover forming a heat exchanger having a coolant side and a lubricant side. The differential and ring gear are configured to pump a lubricating fluid. The scraper port is disposed at a bottom of the heat exchanger adjacent to the ring gear and is configured to direct the lubricating fluid through the lubricant side of the heat exchanger. The reservoir is disposed at a top of the heat exchanger and is configured to receive and store the lubricating fluid from the lubricant side of the heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Scott Lippert, John Edward Brevick, Mathew John Fast, Lawrence Marshall, Andreas E. Perakes, Danrich Henry Demitroff, W. Cary Cole, Furqan Zafar Shaikh, Michael Levin
  • Patent number: 9358868
    Abstract: A hybrid drivetrain for a motor vehicle has a first drive unit which has a first drive device by means of which first drive power can be provided. A second drive unit has a second drive device by means of which second drive power can be provided. A drive output device can be connected to driven wheels of the motor vehicle. A first gearbox arrangement has a first gearbox input and a first gearbox output. A second gearbox arrangement has a second gearbox input and a second gearbox output. The first drive device is connected to the first gearbox input and the second drive device is connected to the second gearbox input. The first and second gearbox outputs are connected to the drive output device. The first and second gearbox inputs can be connected to one another or separated from one another by means of a clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: GETRAG Getriebe- und Zahnradfabrik Hermann Hagenmeyer GmbH & Cie KG
    Inventors: Sören Wenzel, Stevens Sehic
  • Patent number: 9354129
    Abstract: The present invention involves device for measuring the drive torque and/or the driving power delivered on a hub shell by a freewheel body connected to the hub shell by a freewheel mechanism, the device including at least one deformation and/or stress sensor on or integrated to at least one ratchet of said mechanism and a drive torque and/or driving power determination circuit, connected to the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives
    Inventor: Thierry Boudet
  • Patent number: 9321342
    Abstract: A modular electrically variable transmission includes at least one of a sun-shared module and a sun and ring-shared module assembled to form a two-module electrically variable transmission having a shiftable motor speed reducer subassembly and an electrically variable transmission subassembly. The sun-shared module includes a first motor-generator, an input, and primary and secondary planetary gear sets each having respective primary and secondary ring gears, carriers and associated pinion gears. The pinion gears are in meshing engagement with a single first shared sun gear that is non-rotatably coupled to the first motor-generator. The sun and ring-shared module includes a second motor-generator, a second input, a second shared sun gear and a shared ring gear, and primary and second secondary planetary gear sets. The secondary planetary gear set includes a secondary carrier supporting outer and inner pinion gears. The second shared sun gear is non-rotatably coupled to the second motor-generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Bradford Liu, Feisel F Weslati
  • Patent number: 9309933
    Abstract: A transaxle unit that separately transmits power from an engine and power from a motor to an output shaft of driving wheels and transmits the power from the engine to a generator is provided. A rotary shaft of the motor is disposed vertically apart from the output shaft, and a rotary shaft of the generator is disposed horizontally apart from the output shaft. A clutch is disposed in the transaxle unit in a power transmission path from the engine to the output shaft to connect or disconnect the power from the engine. A pump is disposed coaxially with a rotary shaft of the clutch on a side of the transaxle unit to generate hydraulic pressure for the clutch with the power from the output shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiromasa Date
  • Patent number: 9308809
    Abstract: A hybrid powertrain may include a planetary gear PG that includes three rotational elements with a carrier C coupled to an engine, a motor generator MG directly coupled to one of the remaining two rotational elements of the planetary gear PG, a first driving gear D1 installed to be rotated by receiving driving force from the rotational element coupled to the motor generator MG, a second driving gear D2 installed to be rotated by receiving driving force from the other one of the remaining two rotational elements of the planetary gear PG, an output shaft OUT having a first driven gear P1 and a second driven gear P2 meshed with the first driving gear D1 and the second driving gear D2, respectively, and a first brake BK1 installed to switch a state limiting a rotation of the rotational element coupled to the second driving gear D2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventor: Kum Lim Choi
  • Patent number: 9291243
    Abstract: A motor vehicle powershift transmission which comprising two partial transmissions (TG1, TG2) each with a respective input shaft (GE1, GE2) that can be drivingly connected, via a main separator clutch (CL1, CL2; CL1?, CL2?; CL1*, CL2*), with the driveshaft (TW) of a drive engine (VM) and, on the output side, with a common output shaft (GA). To enable powershifts without frictional slipping, the two input shafts (GE1, GE2), on the input side, can be connected to and disconnected from a respective intermediate shaft (ZW1, ZW2) by the respective main separator clutch (CL1, CL2; CL1?, CL2?; CL1*, CL2*). The first intermediate shaft (ZW1) is directly connected to the driveshaft (TW) and the second intermediate shaft (ZW2) is in driving connection with the first intermediate shaft (ZW1) by way of a variator (V) which has a continuously adjustable transmission ratio (iV) and a rest transmission ratio having the value one iV—0=1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Kai Borntraeger, Bernard Hunold, Johannes Kaltenbach
  • Patent number: 9291244
    Abstract: Transmissions with at least four gearing-arrangements and six clutches that produce nine forward speeds and one reverse. The gearing-arrangements may be simple planetary gearsets. The six clutches may include one to three brakes, and at least one clutch is an input clutch and one an output clutch. The input-shaft of each transmission may be associated with a carrier of one of the simple planetary gearsets. The input-shaft may be associated with carrier-1. The output-shaft of some transmissions may be associated with a carrier of another of the simple planetary gearsets. The output-shaft may be associated with carrier-4. Sun and ring gears in gearing-arrangements may be connected to a transmission housing. Sun-3 and ring-4 may be grounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Robert Scott Lippert
  • Patent number: 9285018
    Abstract: A multi-speed transmission in which a sun gear of a fourth planetary gear set is connected with the housing in a non-rotatable manner, a ring gear of a first planetary gear set is permanently connected with a ring gear of the fourth planetary gear set, a sun gear of the first planetary gear set and a sun gear of a second planetary gear set can be coupled with the housing, via a first brake, a carrier of the first planetary gear set can be coupled with the housing, via a second brake, and the output shaft can be coupled with a carrier of the fourth planetary gear set, via a first clutch. Variations of other couplings within the multi-speed transmission forms a set of transmissions having similar properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Stefan Beck, Christian Sibla, Wolfgang Rieger
  • Patent number: 9272698
    Abstract: A hybrid electric automotive powertrain includes an engine start/stop system to improve fuel economy. The stop routine provides for quick restarting to avoid delay in a driver change of mind case. The stop routine may be terminated prior to full engine stop when a torque request is received during the stop routine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Xiaoyong Wang, Wei Liang, Francis T. Connolly, Ming L. Kuang
  • Patent number: 9267587
    Abstract: A roller screw mechanism provided with a screw having an external thread, a nut surrounding and coaxial with the screw, the nut including an internal thread, two gear wheels mounted in a non-threaded part of the nut, each gear wheel providing a first set of teeth having a plurality of internal teeth, and a plurality of rollers radially located between the screw and the nut, each roller having an external thread designed to engage the external and internal threads of the screw and the nut, and axially at each end a first set of teeth having a plurality of gear teeth designed to engage with the internal gear teeth of the gear wheels. The outer diameter of the gear teeth of each roller is less or equal to the diameter of the thread root of the external thread of the roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: AKTIEBOLAGET SKF
    Inventors: Folly Abevi, Eric Allegri
  • Patent number: 9263201
    Abstract: A planetary limit switch contains a front transmission module, at least one following transmission module, and at least one micro switch. The front transmission module couples with an external power source and includes a first planetary gear carrier and plural first planetary gears for matching with the first planetary gear carrier, a front driving gear meshes with the plural first planetary gears and connects with a driving shaft so as to be driven by the driving shaft. Each following transmission module includes a second planetary gear carrier and a plurality of second planetary gears, and the plurality of second planetary gears meshing with a following gear, wherein the second planetary gear carrier has a cam portion arranged on an outer peripheral side thereof. The at least one micro switch is fixed below at least one following transmission module and touched by the cam portion of the second planetary gear carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Inventor: I-Te Pan
  • Patent number: 9236781
    Abstract: A modified planetary gear box and arrangement of the gear box with a drive motor permits electrical, optical or other types of cabling or wiring to be passed through the planetary gear box along its axis of rotation. The planetary gear box drives or rotates a reel of coiled tubing. Electrical, hydraulic, optical and other types of line for lowering into a well bore through the coiled tubing is passed through a passageway through the center of the planetary gear box, into one end of a hub of the reel, and then into the coiled tubing, which is injected into the wellbore. The other end of the hub of the reel is able to be connected to a swivel joint that can be connected to a pump for pumping fluid into the coiled tubing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: National Oilwell Varco, L.P.
    Inventor: William Benjamin White
  • Patent number: 9234568
    Abstract: A multi-speed transmission includes a housing; an input member and an output member; four planetary gear trains including a first planetary gear train, a second planetary gear train, a third planetary gear train and a fourth planetary gear train, wherein each of the planetary gear trains includes a ring gear, a planetary carrier and a sun gear; and six control elements. Each of the six control elements is operatively connected to at least one of the planetary gear trains and selectively engageable to produce a set of different speeds between the input member and the output member. The set of different speeds includes eight forward speeds and two reverse speeds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin G. Meyer, James S. Rice
  • Patent number: 9228641
    Abstract: A dual ratio constant mesh gearbox is provided that is suitable for use with an automobile, and particularly well-suited for an electric vehicle. The gearbox, which may be configured either as a manual or automatic gearbox, utilizes a planetary gear set and a pair of clutches to shift between under drive and direct drive modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: ATIEVA, INC.
    Inventor: Jean-Philippe Gauthier
  • Patent number: 9222565
    Abstract: A torque transmission device for a motor vehicle having a locking mechanism for locking at least one wheel of the motor vehicle, which wheel is connected to an output shaft of the torque transmission device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: MAGNA STEYR Fahrzeugtechnik AG & Co KG
    Inventors: Stefan Pichler, Ferdinand Tangl
  • Patent number: 9216741
    Abstract: An engine control system is provided where the engine control system includes a torque converter, an engine connected to the torque converter, a transmission connected to the torque converter, a lock-up clutch housed in the torque converter wherein the lock-up clutch is configured to mechanically connect the engine and the transmission when the lock-up clutch is engaged, an engine speed sensor configured to obtain a prior engine speed which is measured prior to engagement of the lock-up clutch, a transmission speed sensor configured to obtain a prior transmission speed which is measured prior to the engagement of the lock-up clutch, and an engine control module configured to determine a desired engine speed at a speed lower than the prior engine speed and adjust a speed of the engine to the desired engine speed just prior to the movement of the lock-up clutch for the engagement or as the lock-up clutch moves toward the engagement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Tinker, Guillaume Raffin, John T. Reedy, Don B. Benckendorf
  • Patent number: 9217500
    Abstract: There is provided a drive train for transmitting a variable power with a variable input speed at a drive shaft and a substantially constant output speed at an output shaft for a power generation installation, driven by a continuous-flow machine. The drive train includes a power-split transmission having a first planetary gear as a superposition gear and a second planetary gear, and a hydrodynamic component which takes up power from an output side and returns said power in a controlled manner to the power-split transmission. The first and second planetary gears are coupled to each other via a common planet carrier. The drive shaft is coupled to a ring gear of the first planetary gear, and wherein in the common planet carrier, planets of the first planetary gear and planets of the second planetary gear are accommodated in an alternating fashion in a circumferential direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Voith Patent GmbH
    Inventors: Bernhard Ludas, Manuel Rathgeb
  • Patent number: 9206881
    Abstract: A rigid speed reducer with internal and external tooth profile tooth-enveloping. The rigid speed reducer includes first- and second-level speed-reducing mechanisms. The first-level speed-reducing mechanism includes: an eccentric gear; rotary arm bearing; externally-meshing curved gear; and gear pins fixed on a first supporting frame and externally meshed with the externally-meshing curved gear. The second-level speed-reducing mechanism includes: an eccentric transmission gear; rotary arm bearing; internally-meshing curved gear, which is internally meshed and fitted with the gear pin; and an output disk linked with an output shaft. The eccentric transmission gear is in transmission connection with the externally-meshing curved gear through a dowel pin. The internally-meshing curved gear is in transmission with the output disk through a transmission pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: ZHEJIANG HENGFENGTAI REDUCER MFG.CO., LTD
    Inventors: Xiangdong Kong, Shengkang Ye