Patents by Inventor Chris L. Normand

Chris L. Normand has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 12311755
    Abstract: A vehicle transaxle comprising a plurality of mounting flanges fixedly mountable to an axle tube of the vehicle absent any additional structure for mounting the transaxle to the vehicle. The axle tube houses a wheel axle to which the transaxle is operably couplable. The transaxle additionally comprises a transaxle mounting collar that is fixedly mounted to or integrally formed with a housing of the transaxle. The mounting collar is structured and operable to have a prime mover of the vehicle mounted thereto and to support the weight/mass of the prime mover such that the prime mover is mountable to the vehicle via only the mounting collar absent any additional structure for mounting the prime mover to the vehicle such that the prime mover can be cantilevered from (e.g., suspended from) the transaxle, e.g., the prime mover is ‘free floating’.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Zekarias W. Yohannes, Matthew Wilson, David A. Smith, Chris L. Normand
  • Publication number: 20230356585
    Abstract: A vehicle transaxle comprising a plurality of mounting flanges fixedly mountable to an axle tube of the vehicle absent any additional structure for mounting the transaxle to the vehicle. The axle tube houses a wheel axle to which the transaxle is operably couplable. The transaxle additionally comprises a transaxle mounting collar that is fixedly mounted to or integrally formed with a housing of the transaxle. The mounting collar is structured and operable to have a prime mover of the vehicle mounted thereto and to support the weight/mass of the prime mover such that the prime mover is mountable to the vehicle via only the mounting collar absent any additional structure for mounting the prime mover to the vehicle such that the prime mover can be cantilevered from (e.g., suspended from) the transaxle, e.g., the prime mover is ‘free floating’.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2023
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventors: Zekarias W. Yohannes, Matthew Wilson, David A. Smith, Chris L. Normand
  • Patent number: 11745583
    Abstract: A vehicle transaxle comprising a plurality of mounting flanges fixedly mountable to an axle tube of the vehicle absent any additional structure for mounting the transaxle to the vehicle. The axle tube houses a wheel axle to which the transaxle is operably couplable. The transaxle additionally comprises a transaxle mounting collar that is fixedly mounted to or integrally formed with a housing of the transaxle. The mounting collar is structured and operable to have a prime mover of the vehicle mounted thereto and to support the weight/mass of the prime mover such that the prime mover is mountable to the vehicle via only the mounting collar absent any additional structure for mounting the prime mover to the vehicle such that the prime mover can be cantilevered from (e.g., suspended from) the transaxle, e.g., the prime mover is ‘free floating’.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Zekarias W. Yohannes, Matthew Wilson, David A. Smith, Chris L. Normand
  • Publication number: 20210268900
    Abstract: A vehicle transaxle comprising a plurality of mounting flanges fixedly mountable to an axle tube of the vehicle absent any additional structure for mounting the transaxle to the vehicle. The axle tube houses a wheel axle to which the transaxle is operably couplable. The transaxle additionally comprises a transaxle mounting collar that is fixedly mounted to or integrally formed with a housing of the transaxle. The mounting collar is structured and operable to have a prime mover of the vehicle mounted thereto and to support the weight/mass of the prime mover such that the prime mover is mountable to the vehicle via only the mounting collar absent any additional structure for mounting the prime mover to the vehicle such that the prime mover can be cantilevered from (e.g., suspended from) the transaxle, e.g., the prime mover is ‘free floating’.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Inventors: Zekarias W. Yohannes, Matthew Wilson, David A. Smith, Chris L. Normand
  • Patent number: 11040617
    Abstract: A vehicle transaxle comprising a plurality of mounting flanges fixedly mountable to an axle tube of the vehicle absent any additional structure for mounting the transaxle to the vehicle. The axle tube houses a wheel axle to which the transaxle is operably couplable. The transaxle additionally comprises a transaxle mounting collar that is fixedly mounted to or integrally formed with a housing of the transaxle. The mounting collar is structured and operable to have a prime mover of the vehicle mounted thereto and to support the weight/mass of the prime mover such that the prime mover is mountable to the vehicle via only the mounting collar absent any additional structure for mounting the prime mover to the vehicle such that the prime mover can be cantilevered from (e.g., suspended from) the transaxle, e.g., the prime mover is ‘free floating’.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Zekarias W. Yohannes, Matthew Wilson, David A. Smith, Chris L. Normand
  • Patent number: 10889173
    Abstract: A transaxle system for a golf car, wherein the system comprises a transaxle and a matting interface. The transaxle comprises a plurality of mounting flanges fixedly mountable to at least one axle tube of the golf car, wherein the at least one axle tube houses at least one wheel axle, and the transaxle is operably couplable to the at least one wheel axle. The transaxle additionally comprising a transaxle mounting collar that is fixedly mounted to or integrally formed with a housing of the transaxle. The mating interface is mountable to the transaxle mounting collar, and is structured and operable to have an integrated internal combustion engine-transmission unit of the golf car mounted thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Textron Inc.
    Inventors: Zekarias W. Yohannes, Matthew Wilson, David A. Smith, Chris L. Normand
  • Publication number: 20200164739
    Abstract: A vehicle transaxle comprising a plurality of mounting flanges fixedly mountable to an axle tube of the vehicle absent any additional structure for mounting the transaxle to the vehicle. The axle tube houses a wheel axle to which the transaxle is operably couplable. The transaxle additionally comprises a transaxle mounting collar that is fixedly mounted to or integrally formed with a housing of the transaxle. The mounting collar is structured and operable to have a prime mover of the vehicle mounted thereto and to support the weight/mass of the prime mover such that the prime mover is mountable to the vehicle via only the mounting collar absent any additional structure for mounting the prime mover to the vehicle such that the prime mover can be cantilevered from (e.g., suspended from) the transaxle, e.g., the prime mover is ‘free floating’.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: Zekarias W. Yohannes, Matthew Wilson, David A. Smith, Chris L. Normand