Patents Examined by Stacey Fluhart
  • Patent number: 11976722
    Abstract: A method of controlling an axle assembly. The method includes executing a speed synchronization mode and operating a clutch actuator to shift a clutch from a neutral position toward an engaged position. The method may also include executing a low torque synchronization mode when the clutch cannot be shifted from a neutral position to an engaged position within a first predetermined period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: ArvinMeritor Technology, LLC
    Inventors: Edvin Godo, Banuchandar Muthukumar
  • Patent number: 11976725
    Abstract: An electromechanical parking lock for a motor vehicle includes a locking element for reversible engagement in a parking lock wheel, an actuating element that can be pre-loaded by an actuating spring in order to insert the locking element into the parking lock wheel, an electric motor with an actuating unit for moving the actuating element out of the locked position (P) against the spring force of the actuating spring into an unlocked position (nP), and a solenoid that, in the unlocked position (nP), holds the actuating element pre-loaded via a securing element. The parking lock has an emergency locking position (Not-P) in which the parking lock is unlocked and in which the securing element can be released by the electric motor without changing the state of the solenoid so that the locked position (P) can be assumed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Christoph Haschke, Matthias Feuerbach, Christoph Thuerauf, Wilhelm Boehm, Klaus Kraemer
  • Patent number: 11975605
    Abstract: A front wheel clutch and a front wheel acceleration clutch are supported to a front wheel transmission shaft. Between the front wheel clutch and the front wheel acceleration clutch, there is provided a holder supporting the front wheel transmission shaft. A first operational oil passage for switching over the front wheel clutch is defined respectively in and between the holder and the front wheel transmission shaft. A second operational oil passage for switching over the front wheel acceleration clutch is defined respectively in and between the holder and the front wheel transmission shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shunsuke Sonoda, Kenichiro Tsuji, Hiroki Takemoto
  • Patent number: 11970052
    Abstract: A drive device for a vehicle axle of a two-track vehicle having a drive unit having in particular an electric machine, which outputs on the output side on at least one driveshaft leading to a vehicle wheel, which driveshaft is divided into a wheel-side shaft section and an axle-side shaft section which can be coupled to one another or decoupled from one another in a driving manner by means of a formfitting clutch, in order to avoid drag losses in the deactivated drive unit in driving operation with deactivated drive unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Christian Holzapfel
  • Patent number: 11965595
    Abstract: A park lock gear assembly for a transmission unit of a vehicle includes a transmission shaft, a park lock gear arranged on the transmission shaft, a housing unit of a motor unit and a bearing assembly. The housing unit has a portion extending parallel to the transmission shaft and adjacent to the park lock gear, and the bearing assembly is disposed between the park lock gear and the portion of the housing unit. The bearing assembly may be arranged with a radial clearance between the park lock gear and the portion of the housing unit. The bearing assembly may be arranged on the portion of the housing unit with the radial clearance between the bearing assembly and the park lock gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG &Co. KG
    Inventors: Jochen Loeffelmann, Peter Welker
  • Patent number: 11951826
    Abstract: A two-tracked vehicle is powered by an electric machine which operates as a motor to rotate output shafts via an axle differential with each of the output shafts coupled to a vehicle wheel. One of the output shafts is subdivided into a wheel-side shaft portion and an electric-machine-side shaft portion which can be drivingly coupled to each other by a form-fit coupling to bring the electric machine into driving connection with the vehicle wheels during driving operation. The wheel-side shaft portion and electric-machine-side shaft portion can be decoupled from each other to prevent drag losses during driving operation when the electric machine is deactivated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: AUDI AG
    Inventor: Bastian Gebhard
  • Patent number: 11953060
    Abstract: A coupling and control assembly includes first and second rotatable coupling members. The first coupling member has a first coupling face with locking formations, and the second coupling member has a second coupling face with pockets and in opposition with the first coupling face of the first coupling member and a third face spaced from the second coupling face and with passages communicating with the pockets. Locking members in the pockets transmit torque between the first and second coupling members. A stator includes an electromagnetic source, and a translator is translatable, rotatable, and coupled to the second coupling member to be rotatable therewith. The translator may include springs in the passages to actuate the plurality of locking members, or a permanent magnetic source cooperative with the electromagnetic source to translate the translator. An apertured retainer plate may be coupled to the second coupling member to facilitate pivoting of the plurality of locking members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Means Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Brice A. Pawley, Dustin M. Finn
  • Patent number: 11945312
    Abstract: A system includes a PTO device that selectively couples to a driveline of a vehicle, a motor/generator electrically coupled to an electrical power storage system, and a shared load selectively powered by one of the driveline or the motor/generator. The PTO device further includes a coupling actuator that couples the shared load to the motor/generator at a first selected ratio in a first position, and couples the shared load to the driveline at a second selected ratio in a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: EATON INTELLIGENT POWEWR LIMITED
    Inventors: Benjamin Daniel Golder, Thomas Alan Genise, Thomas Joseph Stoltz, Glenn Clark Fortune
  • Patent number: 11946543
    Abstract: A parking mechanism includes an actuator having a manual shaft rotating around the first axis, a flange provided on an outer periphery of the manual shaft, a cam rod having a coupling portion coupled to the flange and a rod body moveable along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis with a movement of the flange, a coil spring attached to the rod body, a cam that is attached to the rod body and moves along the second axis by motion of the rod body transmitting via the coil spring, a pawl member having a meshing portion and operating with a movement of the cam, and a parking gear having a tooth portion with which the meshing portion meshes. The self-holding torque of the actuator is larger than the torque applied to the manual shaft at the time of maximum compression of the coil spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hideaki Matsuo, Mitsuhiro Hara, Masashi Yuboku
  • Patent number: 11940022
    Abstract: Systems and methods are presented herein for providing an integrated disconnect. The integrated disconnect may be used within a drive unit. The integrated disconnect comprises an output gear having a cavity. A torque transfer adapter is arranged within the cavity. A clutch body is also arranged within the cavity. The clutch is actuatable through the output gear by an actuator to engage and disengage the clutch with the torque transfer adaptor. The actuator is located external to the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Rivian IP Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Mason Verbridge, George Zalanca, Cameron P. Williams
  • Patent number: 11933369
    Abstract: A clutch device includes a pressure plate movable toward or away from a clutch center and rotatable with respect to the clutch center. The pressure plate includes a flange extending radially outward from an outer circumferential edge of a body, pressure-side fitting teeth projecting in a first direction from a front surface of the flange, holding input-side rotating plates and output-side rotating plates, and circumferentially arranged, and a flange-side recessed portion recessed in the first direction from a back surface of the flange. As seen in an axial direction of an output shaft, the flange-side recessed portion at least partially overlaps one of the pressure-side fitting teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA F.C.C.
    Inventors: Jun Komukai, Satoshi Ota, Yasunori Higashi, Makoto Kambara
  • Patent number: 11933368
    Abstract: A clutch device includes a pressure plate movable toward or away from a clutch center, rotatable relative to the clutch center, and operable to press input-side rotating plates and output-side rotating plates. The clutch center includes an oil passage, at least a portion of which is located in an inner peripheral surface of an outer peripheral wall to guide clutch oil to a center-side fitting portion. The pressure plate includes a pressure-side recess on an outer peripheral surface of a pressure-side fitting portion, recessed radially inward from the outer peripheral surface over the entire outer peripheral surface in movement directions, and continuous with the pressure-side cam hole when seen in movement directions. The pressure-side recess communicates with the oil passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA F.C.C.
    Inventors: Yuki Kobayashi, Takayuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 11926273
    Abstract: A hydraulic circuit for a vehicle driving device includes an oil pump, a clutch oil passage, a cooling oil passage, a pressure regulating valve, and a shift valve. The cooling oil passage guides oil to a cooled portion of a vehicle. Supply of oil to the clutch oil passage and the cooling oil passage is switched by switching of the pressure regulating valve and the shift valve. The cooling oil passage includes: a shaft center cooling oil passage which supplies cooling oil to a shaft center of a rotation shaft of an electric motor mounted on the vehicle; and a cooling oil passage shift valve which switches presence/absence of supply of oil to the shaft center cooling oil passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Takei, Hirotake Omoto
  • Patent number: 11920679
    Abstract: The invention relates to parking brake device (10) for a vehicle transmission (GT) comprising a driveshaft (AW) and a first actuator (F1), via which the driveshaft (AW) can be rotated; a pawl (2), which can be lockingly engaged in the vehicle transmission (GT); a rotary mechanism (1), which is connected to the driveshaft (AW) and comprises an engaging mechanism, an insert spring (16) and a permanent magnet (PM), wherein the pawl (2) and the rotary mechanism (1) can be moved with the permanent magnet (PM) between a locking position (P) and a neutral position (nP) for the vehicle transmission (GT), wherein the rotary mechanism (1) can be pretensioned via the insert spring (16) and the neutral position (nP) can be adopted; wherein the parking brake device (10) also comprises: a second actuator (F2), via which the engaging mechanism can be triggered when the insert spring (16) is pretensioned and, as a result, the locking position (P) can be entered via an application of force of the insert spring (16) on the rot
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Gerhard Wetzel
  • Patent number: 11920661
    Abstract: Provided are a vehicle transmission and a vehicle powertrain device including the same. The present disclosure includes a driving sun gear receiving a driving force transmitted from a motor, a first sun gear having the same rotating axis as the driving sun gear, a second sun gear inserted into the first sun gear and having the same rotating axis as the first sun gear, a planetary gear provided with a plurality of stages which respectively mesh with the driving sun gear, the first sun gear, and the second sun gear, and a carrier to which the planetary gear is coupled so as to be rotatable and into which the first sun gear and the second sun gear are inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: NEOOTO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Se Hoon Oh, Jae Won Shin, Jae Oh Han, Sun Hyun Kim, Duk Soon Choi
  • Patent number: 11916464
    Abstract: A hybrid transmission device, comprising an electric machine, wherein the electric machine has an externally situated stator and an internally situated rotor shaft, wherein the hybrid transmission device furthermore comprises a transmission in a transmission housing and a clutch in a clutch housing, wherein the stator is fastened in the transmission housing, wherein the rotor shaft has, at a first end, a pinion that meshes with an intermediate gear of the transmission, wherein the rotor shaft is mounted in the region of the first end and in the region of the oppositely situated second end of the rotor shaft by means of a first and a second bearing, wherein an intermediate plate fastened to the stator is arranged axially in the region of the first end of the rotor shaft, wherein the second bearing for the mounting of the second end of the rotor shaft is fixed directly in the clutch housing, and the first bearing for the mounting of the first end of the rotor shaft is fixed to the transmission housing or is fix
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Magna PT B.V. & Co. KG
    Inventors: Richard Viebach, Matthias Pruy
  • Patent number: 11913527
    Abstract: A gear unit has a differential that comprises two planetary gearsets, a first gearset element of the first planetary gearset is connected to an input shaft and a second gearset element of the first planetary gearset is connected to a first output shaft. A third gearset element of the second planetary gearset is connected to a second output shaft. A first output torque is transmittable to the first output shaft by the first planetary gearset. A reaction torque of the first planetary gearset is transmittable to the second output shaft. Between the first output shaft and second output shaft is an actuation mechanism having a first friction partner and a second friction partner. The friction partners generate a connection between the two output shafts when the actuation mechanism is actuated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventor: Thomas Kölbl
  • Patent number: 11913500
    Abstract: A clutch arrangement is provided with a clutch housing that connects a drive unit to an output, such as a transmission, which is rotatable around a central axis and with which an axial central projection is associated at the side of the clutch housing facing the drive unit in the radial extension area of its rotational center. The axial central projection receives a rotor carrier receiving a rotor of an electric machine. The central projection is connected at least so as to be fixed with respect to relative rotation to the drive unit via a first connection device and to the rotor carrier via a second connection device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventor: Thomas Bauer
  • Patent number: 11906043
    Abstract: A kit for modifying a transmission input housing includes an overrun piston sleeve positioned on an outer surface of an input housing inner stepped portion, an overrun piston configured to mate with the overrun piston sleeve, and a replacement forward piston housing. An inner diameter of the overrun piston is larger than an inner diameter of an OE overrun piston. A forward piston sleeve is positioned on the outer surface of the input housing inner stepped conical portion adjacent the overrun sleeve. A forward piston mates with the forward piston sleeve. The forward piston has an inner diameter that is larger than an inner diameter of an OE forward piston. Seals are positioned between the forward piston and the forward piston sleeve and between the overrun piston and the forward piston at an outer diameter of the overrun piston.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Sonnax Transmission Company
    Inventors: Todd V. Mangiagli, Gregg A. Nader
  • Patent number: 11898627
    Abstract: A torque converter includes a front cover arranged to receive a torque and a lock-up clutch engaged with the front cover. The lock-up clutch includes a reaction plate, a clutch plate, and an anti-rattle plate. The reaction plate is fixed to the front cover and includes a plurality of windows circumferentially spaced from each other. The clutch plate includes a plurality of tabs each engaged with the reaction plate via one respective window. The anti-rattle plate is fixed relative to the front cover and engaged with each of the plurality of tabs in the corresponding windows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Nicholas Wurst