Patents Examined by Sherry Estremsky
  • Patent number: 8529400
    Abstract: A method of coupling a combustion engine of a parallel-hybrid drive train via a clutch positioned between the engine and an electric machine with the clutch device initially disengaged, the engine rotational speed approximately at an engine idling rotational speed, and the machine rotational speed larger than the engine idling rotation speed. When a request is made for a drive torque value which is larger than a torque threshold, the engine rotational speed is brought to a rotational speed value above the machine rotational speed and the clutch is slipping engaged once the rotational speed value is reached, while the engine, when the drive train decelerates and a request is made to couple the engine, is brought into deceleration cancellation and the engine rotational speed is brought up to the machine rotational speed while engaging the clutch and dependent on a transfer ability of the clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Markus Eisele, Michael Sauter
  • Patent number: 8512202
    Abstract: A shift controller controls a transmission for a hybrid vehicle in which: an engine and a motor are connected together via a clutch; and the transmission is placed between the motor and driving wheels. The shift controller has: a first shift controlling unit which performs shift control on a basis of at least one of transmission efficiency of the transmission and power generation efficiency of the motor in a case where regeneration is performed with the clutch disengaged during deceleration of the hybrid vehicle; and a second shift controlling unit which performs shift control to make a transmission gear ratio of the transmission smaller than in the shift control performed by the first shift controlling unit in a case where the regeneration is performed with the clutch engaged during the deceleration of the hybrid vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Oota, Ryozo Hiraku, Takeshi Morita, Akira Takano
  • Patent number: 8500594
    Abstract: A differential assembly and method of manufacturing such an assembly are provided. A method for manufacturing a differential assembly includes forming a first portion of a differential carrier; forming a second portion of the differential carrier; securing the first portion to the second portion to form the differential carrier; forming a differential housing; and securing the differential carrier to the differential housing to form a differential assembly. A sintering process may be used to form the first portion and second portion of the differential carrier, and the first and second portions may be secured together by a brazing process. The forming of the first and second portions of the differential carrier and the securing of the first and second portions to form a differential carrier may be achieved by a sinter-brazing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Metaldyne Company LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sefcik, Jeff Lubben, Robert Veldman
  • Patent number: 8485930
    Abstract: A transmission includes an input member, an output member, and a planetary gear set having a first, a second, and a third member. A first electric motor/generator has a first rotor connected for rotation with the first member. A second electric motor/generator has a second rotor connected for rotation with the second member. A first set of intermeshing gears has a first gear ratio, and a second set of intermeshing gears has a second gear ratio different than the first gear ratio. A first torque-transmitting mechanism is engageable to establish torque flow between the planetary gear set and one of the input member and the output member through the first set of intermeshing gears. A second torque-transmitting mechanism is engageable to establish torque flow between the planetary gear set and the one of the input member and the output member through the second set of intermeshing gears.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Darrell Lee Robinette, Clyde A. Bulloch
  • Patent number: 8485929
    Abstract: A motor vehicle power train includes a main drive engine with an output shaft for driving the drive wheels of the motor vehicle, an electric motor which includes a rotor and a stator, also for driving the drive wheels of the motor vehicle, an automatic transmission, with a plurality of selectively settable drive connections, a transmission input shaft and a transmission output shaft, the rotor of the electric motor being disposed in a drive connection between the output shaft of the main drive engine and the transmission input shaft, and can be disengaged from the output shaft with a clutch, and at least one ancillary unit which can be driven by the main drive engine. The rotor of the electric motor includes an exterior drive having a gearing of friction surface which has a driving connection to the at least one ancillary unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Voith Patent GmbH
    Inventor: Bernhard Wust
  • Patent number: 8480528
    Abstract: A coaxial transmission, especially a hollow shaft drive, comprising a driving element (7) and a driven element (3), a plurality of radially mobile toothed quadrants (5) providing a gear ratio and transmitting a driving torque between the driving element (7) and the driven element (3). An internal gear (1) or especially the housing for receiving the inner gearing of the internal gear (13) are configured as a multipart structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Wittenstein AG
    Inventors: Thomas Wilhelm, Michael Schmidt, Thomas Bayer
  • Patent number: 8475323
    Abstract: A drive system includes a planetary gear system. An input is affixed to a sun gear of the planetary gear system to rotate therewith and an output is affixed to the output ring gear to rotate therewith. A first brake system is selectively operable to rotationally lock an output ring gear of the planetary gear system, and a second brake system is selectively operable to rotationally lock the planet carrier of the planetary gear system. Rotary-wing aircraft implementations of the drive system are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
    Inventor: Brandon L. Stille
  • Patent number: 8475314
    Abstract: An axle assembly includes an axle housing assembly including a housing structure having an interior cavity with a sump, a lubricant disposed in the sump having a liquid lubricant level, and a differential mounted in the axle housing assembly for rotation about a first axis. The differential includes a ring gear generating an annular stream of lubricant adjoining the ring gear above the liquid lubricant level during operation of the differential at a rotational speed greater than a predetermined rotational speed. The housing structure includes an interior surface on which a deflector is coupled. The deflector extends into the interior cavity and has a first face having an impingement portion and a first edge adjacent the impingement portion. The impingement portion extends into the stream and deflects a portion of the stream towards the first edge. The first edge disperses the portion of the stream into the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Gatti Corless, Mark Alan Harnden, Mark Stephen Waack
  • Patent number: 8469851
    Abstract: An oil supply system is provided for an automatic transmission of a vehicle that includes, but is not limited to a valve body and an electric oil pump. The valve body houses a plurality of hydraulic pressure control valves to control main pressure, torque converter and gear shifts of the automatic transmission. The valve body is in flow communication with an oil pan. The electric oil pump is driven by an electric supply and is configured to pump oil into the automatic transmission via the plurality of hydraulic control valves. The electric oil pump is positioned within the valve body or within the oil pan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Aytac Demir
  • Patent number: 8460157
    Abstract: In torque down control apparatus and method for an automotive vehicle, an upper limit value of a drive force of a prime mover is reduced to a predetermined value when a predetermined condition is established, the upper limit value of the drive force is increased at a predetermined speed to recover the upper limit value of the drive force from the predetermined value, the recovery is limited when an accelerator opening angle is smaller than a predetermined opening angle than a case where the accelerator opening angle is equal to or larger than the predetermined opening angle during the recovery of the upper limit value of the drive force, and the limitation is relieved when a vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a predetermined vehicle speed than a case where the vehicle speed is lower than the predetermined vehicle speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Jatco Ltd
    Inventors: Hajime Tasaka, Yutaka Tohyama, Masahiro Hamano
  • Patent number: 8454466
    Abstract: A hybrid powertrain system includes first and second torque machines, a differential gear set including first, second and third elements, an output member, and first, second, and third selectable one-way clutches (SOWC). The first SOWC is configurable to prevent rotation of the third element of the differential gear set in a first rotational direction when controlled to a first activated state, and configurable to prevent rotation of the third element of the differential gear set in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction when controlled to a second activated state. The first torque machine is coupled to the third element of the differential gear set only when the second SOWC is controlled to one of the activated states. And, the third element of the differential gear set is coupled to the input member only when the second and third SOWCs are each controlled to one of the activated states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Farzad Samie, Chi-Kuan Kao, Norman K. Bucknor, Chunhao J. Lee
  • Patent number: 8435148
    Abstract: A hydraulic control system for a transmission includes a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid that communicates with an electronic transmission range selection (ETRS) subsystem. The ETRS subsystem includes an ETRS valve, a park mechanism, first and second mode valve assemblies, a latch valve assembly, and a plurality of solenoids. The ETRS subsystem is configured to provide desired operating conditions during a plurality of potential failure conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Steven P. Moorman
  • Patent number: 8435151
    Abstract: A gear train of an automatic transmission for vehicles which achieving at least ten forward speeds and one reverse speed, may include an input shaft receiving torque of an engine which may be driving source, an output gear outputting a changed torque, first, second, third, and fourth planetary gear sets respectively having first, second, third, and fourth sun gears, first, second, third, and fourth planet carriers, and first, second, third, and fourth ring gears as rotation elements thereof, eight rotation shafts formed by connecting one rotation element to other rotation element, the input shaft, or the output gear, or being the rotation element, and friction members provided with first, second, third, and fourth clutches disposed between selected rotation shafts and controls delivery of the torque therebetween and first and second brakes selectively connecting selected rotation shaft to a transmission housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Kangsoo Seo, Seong Wook Hwang
  • Patent number: 8413547
    Abstract: The retrograde torque limit gear train with bidirectional input and one-way output relates to a gear train, wherein the input rotary direction of the input shaft is bidirectional and the output direction is constant, and it is characterized by that the gear train with bidirectional input implements reverse transmission when the output side implements retrograde driving in reverse direction with that of the output, through clutch operation conducted by the clutch device installed at the gear train with bidirectional input and one-way output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Inventor: Tai-Her Yang
  • Patent number: 8403810
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling the torque transferable by a mechanical drive between an engine and a shaft of a vehicle includes a first actuator which acts on a variable-speed drive, a second actuator which acts on a clutch to determine the degree of engagement/release of the clutch; and a measuring device for measuring the torque to or from the variable-speed drive. The first and second actuators and the measuring device are controlled by an electronic central control unit to protect the variable-speed drive and/or the clutch from mechanical overloading of the mechanical drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: CNH America LLC
    Inventors: Massimo Baroni, Francesco Roli, Eugenio Sereni
  • Patent number: 8398526
    Abstract: A method for controlling a transmission input clutch during a vehicle launch includes determining a desired clutch torque, a desired engine torque, a desired vehicle acceleration and a desired engine speed, determining a change in clutch torque and a change in engine torque with reference to the first and second errors and current operating conditions, applying to the clutch an updated clutch torque capacity whose magnitude is the sum of the desired clutch torque and the change in engine torque, and producing an updated engine torque whose magnitude is the sum of the desired engine torque and the change in engine torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Davor D. Hrovat, Michael G. Fodor, Hong Jiang, Ian Oldknow, Jahan Asgari
  • Patent number: 8376902
    Abstract: An epicyclic gear system (A) includes helical sun and ring gears (2, 4) and helical planet pinions (6) located between and engaged with the sun and ring gears. The gear system also includes a carrier (8) having an end wall (12) and flexpins (20) cantilevered from the end wall and extended into the planet pinions. Each flexpin at its end remote from the end wall carries a sleeve (22) that extends back over the flexpin where it is spaced from the flexpin. The planet pinion for the flexpin rotates around the sleeve on a bearing (24). The arrangement is such that the flexpin will flex adjacent to the carrier end wall circumferentially along the pitch circle of the carrier in one direction and circumferentially in the opposite direction adjacent to attachment of the sleeve. But the helical gear imparts a couple to the planet pinion that seeks to tilt the sleeve radially toward or away from the main axis of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: The Timken Company
    Inventors: Gerald P. Fox, Randy P. Kruse, James N. Maloof
  • Patent number: 8376889
    Abstract: A transmission includes an input, a variator including an output and a ball carrier secured to the input, producing a variable speed ratio between the ball carrier and the output, a gearset including a component connected to the output, and second and third components, a first clutch releaseably connecting the input and the second component, and a second clutch releaseably connecting the component and the third component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Donald E. Hoffman, David A. Janson
  • Patent number: 8371985
    Abstract: A continuously variable transmission 4 for a vehicle includes a variator 20 that modifies a speed ratio continuously and a subtransmission mechanism 30 that is connected in series to the variator 20 and applies a first speed and a second speed, which is higher than the first speed, selectively. When the vehicle is running under a low load/high speed upshift condition having a lower load or a higher speed than a normal upshift condition, the subtransmission mechanism 30 is upshifted from the first speed to the second speed at a lower vehicle speed than under the normal upshift condition, and as a result, both rotation variation in an internal combustion engine 1 accompanying upshifting of the subtransmission mechanism 30 and an increase in a fuel consumption amount of the internal combustion engine 1 due to the shift operation in the continuously variable transmission 4 are suppressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignees: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Jatco Ltd
    Inventors: Seiichiro Takahashi, Hiroyasu Tanaka, Ryousuke Nonomura, Jouji Seki, Takuichiro Inoue, Mamiko Inoue, Tatsuo Ochiai
  • Patent number: 8357066
    Abstract: A drive mechanism includes a housing, a stationary shaft, at least one acceleration gear assembly, a rotation plate, and at least two centrifugal blades. The acceleration gear assembly having a plurality of acceleration gears is disposed inside the housing and pivots on the stationary shaft, and skewed teeth of the housing engage with the acceleration gears to force the acceleration gears to rotate as the housing rotates. The rotation plate is disposed inside the housing and pivots on the stationary shaft, and is actuated by the acceleration gear assembly and has a first end surface, a second end surface, and a first annular surface connected with the first and the second end surfaces. The centrifugal blades are disposed on the second end surface, and one side of the centrifugal blades has a unidirectional rotatable element engaging with the skewed teeth when the rotation direction of the housing reverses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Aixin Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Chun-Tang Lee, Xin-Chang Yang, Zhong-Cheng Li