Patents Examined by Timothy Hannon
  • Patent number: 12172629
    Abstract: A vehicle includes an engine, an electric machine, a disconnect clutch, a starter motor, and a controller. The engine and electric machine are each configured to generate power to propel the vehicle. The disconnect clutch is disposed between the engine and the electric machine. The controller is programmed to, in response to a command to start the engine, operate either the disconnect clutch or the starter motor to start the engine based on a level of adaptive learning of previous disconnect clutch engagements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Marin Assaliyski, Corey James Blue, Samuel Melville Glauber, Bradley D Riedle, Timothy Baxendale
  • Patent number: 12169004
    Abstract: A motor assembly, control system and associated method monitor the rotational engagement of an input shaft associated with a motor with an output shaft configured to controllably position a control surface. In this regard, a control system includes a motor assembly and an associated controller. The motor assembly includes a motor configured to rotate an input shaft and a first encoder configured to determine a rotational position of the input shaft. The motor assembly also includes an output shaft, such as a capstan, and a second encoder configured to determine a rotational position of the output shaft. The output shaft is rotatably coupled to the input shaft associated with the motor via a clutch. The controller is configured to identify slippage of the clutch based upon information provided by the first and second encoders regarding the rotational positions of the input shaft and the output shaft, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Thomas W. Pryor
  • Patent number: 12157446
    Abstract: Provided is an electronic parking brake system including: an electronic parking brake provided in at least one of a front wheel and a rear wheel of a vehicle and driven by a motor; and a controller electrically connected to the motor, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether a gear stage of an electronic transmission system (a shift by wire: SBW) is shifted to a neutral position during ignition-off of the vehicle, and upon determining that the gear stage is shifted to the neutral position, release engagement of the electronic parking brake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: HL MANDO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Junyeol Choi, Yongkil Kim, Seongho Choi
  • Patent number: 12152667
    Abstract: A gearbox cover includes a front side with a planetary carrier and a back side with a flow passage. The planetary carrier includes a first annular portion with a plurality of holes, a second annular portion, axially spaced from the first annular portion, with a first plurality of through holes, each aligned with one of the holes, and a plurality of webs connecting the first annular portion with the second annular portion. In an example embodiment, the front side also includes a tubular portion. A gearbox cover assembly with a flow passage cover and a planetary gear assembly are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2024
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Paul Cornett, Luke Bear, Thomas Caillet, Matthew Beebe, Avery Kaufmann
  • Patent number: 12152642
    Abstract: A construction machine includes a machine frame, left front wheel, left rear wheel, right front wheel, and right rear wheel. Left and right side electric drive motors and reduction gear assemblies are aligned with a drive axis of the left and right front wheels, respectively. Left and right side drive chains connect the left and right side electric drive motors and reduction gear assemblies with the left and right rear wheels, respectively. A left side drive clutch is positioned between the left front wheel and the left side electric drive motor and reduction gear assembly. A right side drive clutch is positioned between the right front wheel and the right side electric drive motor and reduction gear assembly. A controller is configured to selectively engage or disengage the left and right side drive clutches to selectively provide two wheel drive or four wheel drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: Deere & Company
    Inventors: Brett S. Graham, Steven R. Whiteman
  • Patent number: 12152658
    Abstract: An electric powertrain includes a first electric motor that has an uninterrupted connection with a drive shaft of a vehicle. The electric powertrain further includes a second electric motor that has an interruptible connection with the drive shaft. In one form, this interruptible connection includes a clutch. The electric powertrain further includes a first gear train in the form of a first planetary gear and a second gear train in the form of a second planetary gear. The clutch in one variation includes a positive clutch in the form of a dog clutch. The dog clutch has a clutch suspension configured to deflect a clutch collar when gearing is misaligned during shifting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2024
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: Allison Transmission, Inc.
    Inventors: Isaac Mock, James Allen Raszkowski
  • Patent number: 12146531
    Abstract: A clutch assembly or module having multiple one-way clutches, each clutch operates independently of the others to control torque transmission to and from a common or shared notch plate. The assembly or module also controls rotation, including the direction thereof, of the common or shared notch plate. Depending upon the position of each one-way clutch, multiple modes of torque transfer and common or shared notch plate rotation can be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Means Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Carl Thomas Beiser
  • Patent number: 12146535
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a transmission that performs a method of operating a clutch of a vehicle. The vehicle includes the clutch, an actuator device and a processor. The actuator device includes a piston movable to operate the clutch. The processor is configured to receive a pressure signal indicative of a selected fluid pressure for operating the clutch, determine a position for the piston in the actuator device from the pressure signal, and move the piston to the position to operate the clutch at the selected fluid pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Dongxu Li, Michael Ding, Bryan John Williams, Chunhao J. Lee, Zhen J. Zhang
  • Patent number: 12146536
    Abstract: A method for controlling a vehicle transmission system having a clutch system includes generating a torque-pressure (T-P) gain deviation based on a T-F characteristic and a nominal T-F characteristic for the clutch system, generating a pressure magnitude deviation based on the set of pressure values and the set of nominal pressure values, determining whether a T-F characteristic deviates from the nominal T-F characteristic based on the T-P gain deviation and the pressure magnitude deviation, identifying the T-F characteristic as deviating in response to the T-F characteristic departing from the nominal transfer characteristic, and issuing a notification regarding the deviating T-F characteristic to perform a corrective action related to the clutch system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Weitian Chen, Stuart N. Ford, Ankit Saini, Qingyu Zhang, Scott Joseph Gittins, Zhengyu Dai, Brandon M. Dawson
  • Patent number: 12139141
    Abstract: A vehicle launch control technique includes providing a driver interface configured to display information to and input from a driver of the vehicle and a controller in communication with the driver interface, determining a maximum available torque curve for the powertrain based on current conditions, displaying, at the driver interface, the maximum available torque curve, receiving, from the driver via the driver interface, a desired launch speed for the powertrain, receiving, from the driver via the driver interface, a desired torque curve for the powertrain, wherein the desired torque curve changes in response to changes to the desired launch speed, generating, in response to a command via the driver interface, a final desired torque curve for the powertrain, and performing launch control of the vehicle by controlling the powertrain of the vehicle according to the final desired torque curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: FCA US LLC
    Inventors: Michael J Prucka, Christopher E Pueppke, Jeremy J Anker, James M Wilder, Yi Cheng, Sean R King
  • Patent number: 12140207
    Abstract: A rotation support structure for an electric cylinder includes a motor attached to a housing and including an output shaft; and a speed reduction mechanism connected to the output shaft. The speed reduction mechanism includes a gear unit including a first gear and a shaft support portion and has an outer member facing an inner surface of the housing and a ball, and an annular second gear fixed to the housing and meshing with the first gear, one side end portion of the outer member faces the inner surface of the housing or a spacer attached to the housing, and the other side end portion faces the second gear. A gap is formed between the outer member and the second gear, and between the outer member and at least either the housing or the spacer. A gap is formed between the outer member and the inner surface of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: AISIN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Ken Kato
  • Patent number: 12139118
    Abstract: A safe parking system is provided with: a torque-generating motor; a final drive including side gears drivingly coupled with the motor, a differential gear with a lock to prevent a differential motion between the side gears and an actuator for releasing the lock; an ignition key having an ON position and an OFF position; a differential-lock switch having an open position and a closed position; a switching unit for selecting whether the actuator is turned on or off; and a controller configured to, when the ignition key is detected to be in the OFF position, turn off the actuator if the differential-lock switch is in the open position, and execute no operation about the actuator if the differential-lock switch is in the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: GKN Automotive Limited
    Inventors: Isao Hirota, Takahiro Nagaoka
  • Patent number: 12128903
    Abstract: A method for operating a drive train of a motor vehicle, where the drive train includes a drive aggregate, a group transmission connected between the drive aggregate and a drive output, and a separating cutch connected between the drive aggregate and the group transmission. If a speed is lower than a limit value, the separating clutch is opened and for transmission preselection one or all the other sub-transmission(s) is/are changed to a friction-force-locking condition. The separating clutch is then at least partially closed and the drive aggregate is brought to a defined rotation speed. When a friction-force-locking group transmission is required, it is checked whether a starting gearshift or a driver-desired shift for the group transmission is called for and the target rotation speed of the drive aggregate is checked. Depending on the results, the sub-transmission can be synchronized by a transmission brake or by the drive aggregate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventors: Mario Steinborn, Maik Würthner, Thea Schlueter, Frieder Norrenberg, Martin Fajfr
  • Patent number: 12122235
    Abstract: A transmission device for a vehicle includes a vehicle state detector for detecting a vehicle state, the vehicle state including a first state which indicates that an ignition of the vehicle is off, and a second state which indicates that the ignition of the vehicle is on, a transmission operation unit that includes a fixed unit provided in a column of a steering wheel for enabling a transmission operation and a movable unit configured to be switched between a first position and a second position with respect to the fixed unit, and a position adjusting unit for adjusting a position of the movable unit based on the detected vehicle state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: SL Corporation
    Inventors: Jeongho Park, Woojin Lee, Youngern Jung, Byungki Ji
  • Patent number: 12110928
    Abstract: A dog clutch arrangement for a motor vehicle having a clutch body. The clutch body has first teeth in a first toothing and an axially movable sliding sleeve arrangement with second teeth in a second toothing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
    Inventors: Norman Schmidt-Winkel, Martin Ruider, Fabian Hartmann, Ludwig Geißelbrecht, Bastian Schuh
  • Patent number: 12104664
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for controlling a transmission of a vehicle that has a selectable one-way clutch. The system includes a sensor system, an anti-lock brake system (ABS), and a controller configured to, by a processor: monitor for a deceleration event wherein an estimated output speed acceleration of the vehicle is reduced below a first threshold, receive a status of the ABS, and output one or more control signals to command the transmission to inhibit the application of the selectable one-way clutch in response to detection of the deceleration event when the selectable one-way clutch is not applied, and the estimated output speed acceleration of the vehicle is either: (i) below the first threshold while the anti-lock brake system ABS of the vehicle is active, or (ii) below a second threshold while the ABS is inactive, wherein the first threshold is greater than the second threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Pratik Nagesh Vernekar, Donald L Comis, Roberto Diaz
  • Patent number: 12092172
    Abstract: A clutch assembly or module that includes multiple components and one-way clutches. The clutch assembly or module functions as a releasable torque transmitting mechanism that provides a mechanical engagement between mating parts wherein the multiple components and one-way clutches cooperate to control the torque flow path between a drive or input member and a driven or output member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: Means Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Dustin M. Finn, Conner S. Jurs
  • Patent number: 12092174
    Abstract: A clutch assembly to adapt a clutch for use with a mud motor and a power take off (PTO) assembly is provided. The motor includes a body and a driving shaft, wherein the PTO assembly includes a PTO housing and a driven shaft. The clutch assembly includes a centrifugal clutch and a clutch housing. The clutch includes a hub that engages with the driving shaft, a shoe containing a plurality of fly-weights and an elastic member, and an outer drum casing adapted to selectively engage with the plurality of fly-weights when the rotational speed of the driving shaft is above a predetermined threshold. The clutch housing surrounds the centrifugal clutch and allows the clutch to be installed between the body of the motor and the PTO housing. The outer drum casing has a shaft fixed thereto that is adapted to engage with the driven shaft of the PTO assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: Caswell, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael James Caswell
  • Patent number: 12092173
    Abstract: A clutch assembly includes a pocket plate, and a teeter-totter strut retained in a pocket plate pocket and pivotable to engaged and disengaged positions. A strut center of mass is configured so that when a shock load force acts on the strut, the strut is prevented from moving into the engaged position. A torque locking mechanism includes a strut housing having a strut pocket, a strut having ears, and a cover. The strut has a center of mass between the ears and a portion of the pocket. A clutch strut includes ears extending transversely from a body. A first portion of the body between the ears and an abutment surface has a first length and width, and a second portion of the body between the ears and a load bearing surface has a second length longer than the first length and a second width narrower than the first width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: Means Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Todd Andrzejewski, David Hacker, Kelly J. Campfield
  • Patent number: 12085132
    Abstract: A kit for modifying an OE vehicle transmission includes a replacement forward piston housing, forward clutch hub and a forward clutch and a replacement direct piston housing, direct clutch hub and a direct clutch. A drum extends between and operably connects the replacement forward piston housing and direct piston housing. The kit includes a replacement sprag shaft. The forward clutch hub and forward clutch and the direct clutch hub and direct clutch are positioned between the forward piston housing and the direct piston housing. At least a portion of the forward clutch and at least a portion of the direct clutch are operably mounted to the drum. The forward piston housing and direct piston housing do not counter rotate relative to one another. A power flow module for an OE vehicle automatic transmission is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: Sonnax Transmission Company
    Inventors: Brian G. Rowell, Gregg A. Nader