Patents by Inventor Christopher D. Pump
Christopher D. Pump 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).
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Publication number: 20260352050Abstract: A rotor assembly used in an electric motor included with an electric drive unit for a battery electric vehicle has a rotor cage having a central bore and plurality of rotor slots defined between rotor posts; an output shaft received within the central bore of the rotor cage; a rotor winding wound around a rotor post and partially filling a rotor slot leaving a void space within the rotor slot; and one or more elongated rotor slot assemblies, positioned in the void space, having a fluid channel located adjacent an outer surface that abuts the rotor winding.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 2, 2025Publication date: November 5, 2026Inventor: Christopher D. Pump
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Patent number: 12712418Abstract: An electric drive unit having a motor assembly with a stator, a rotor, which is rotatably received in the stator, and an inverter that includes an inverter mount, a plurality of heat-sinked power semiconductors, and a plurality of seal members. The inverter mount has a base that defines a plurality of terminal apertures. Each heat-sinked power semiconductor includes a power semiconductor, which has a body and a plurality of terminals that extend from the body, and a heat sink that is fixedly and thermally coupled to the body of the power semiconductor. The terminals of each of the power semiconductors are received through a corresponding one of the seal members and through a set of the terminal apertures. Each seal member forms a seal between the power semiconductor and the inverter mount that inhibits fluid flow through the terminal apertures.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2022Date of Patent: August 18, 2026Assignee: AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.Inventor: Christopher D. Pump
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Publication number: 20250007363Abstract: An electric drive unit having a motor assembly with a stator, a rotor, which is rotatably received in the stator, and an inverter that includes an inverter mount, a plurality of heat-sinked power semiconductors, and a plurality of seal members. The inverter mount has a base that defines a plurality of terminal apertures. Each heat-sinked power semiconductor includes a power semiconductor, which has a body and a plurality of terminals that extend from the body, and a heat sink that is fixedly and thermally coupled to the body of the power semiconductor. The terminals of each of the power semiconductors are received through a corresponding one of the seal members and through a set of the terminal apertures. Each seal member forms a seal between the power semiconductor and the inverter mount that inhibits fluid flow through the terminal apertures.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2022Publication date: January 2, 2025Inventor: Christopher D. Pump
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Patent number: 12027944Abstract: An electric drive unit that includes an electric motor having a rotor with a rotor shaft and a heat exchanger that is received in the rotor shaft. The heat exchanger has a plurality of heat exchanger plates, each of which having a hub, a rim member, and disc spring portion that interconnects the hub and the rib member. Each disk spring portion defines a plurality of coolant apertures. The heat exchanger plates are press-fit to the rotor shaft such that each disc spring portion is deflected from a pre-installation state, and each rim member is engaged to an interior surface of the rotor shaft while being spaced apart from adjacent rim members along a rotational axis of the rotor. A first coolant passage is disposed through the hubs of the plates. The coolant apertures in the heat exchanger plates cooperate to form a plurality of second coolant passages.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2023Date of Patent: July 2, 2024Assignee: AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.Inventors: Jeffrey J. Ronning, Paul J. Valente, Christopher D. Pump, Frederick E. Zink, Bangalore Lingaraj Yashwanth
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Publication number: 20230369934Abstract: An electric drive unit that includes an electric motor having a rotor with a rotor shaft and a heat exchanger that is received in the rotor shaft. The heat exchanger has a plurality of heat exchanger plates, each of which having a hub, a rim member, and disc spring portion that interconnects the hub and the rib member. Each disk spring portion defines a plurality of coolant apertures. The heat exchanger plates are press-fit to the rotor shaft such that each disc spring portion is deflected from a pre-installation state, and each rim member is engaged to an interior surface of the rotor shaft while being spaced apart from adjacent rim members along a rotational axis of the rotor. A first coolant passage is disposed through the hubs of the plates. The coolant apertures in the heat exchanger plates cooperate to form a plurality of second coolant passages.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2023Publication date: November 16, 2023Inventors: Jeffrey J. RONNING, Paul J. VALENTE, Christopher D. PUMP, Frederick E. ZINK, Bangalore Lingaraj YASHWANTH
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Patent number: 11750060Abstract: An electric drive unit that includes an electric motor having a rotor with a rotor shaft and a heat exchanger that is received in the rotor shaft. The heat exchanger has a plurality of heat exchanger plates, each of which having a hub, a rim member, and disc spring portion that interconnects the hub and the rib member. Each disk spring portion defines a plurality of coolant apertures. The heat exchanger plates are press-fit to the rotor shaft such that each disc spring portion is deflected from a pre-installation state, and each rim member is engaged to an interior surface of the rotor shaft while being spaced apart from adjacent rim members along a rotational axis of the rotor. A first coolant passage is disposed through the hubs of the plates. The coolant apertures in the heat exchanger plates cooperate to form a plurality of second coolant passages.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2022Date of Patent: September 5, 2023Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Jeffrey J. Ronning, Paul J. Valente, Christopher D. Pump, Frederick E. Zink, Bangalore Lingaraj Yashwanth
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Publication number: 20230261541Abstract: An electric drive unit that includes an electric motor having a rotor with a rotor shaft and a heat exchanger that is received in the rotor shaft. The heat exchanger has a plurality of heat exchanger plates, each of which having a hub, a rim member, and disc spring portion that interconnects the hub and the rib member. Each disk spring portion defines a plurality of coolant apertures. The heat exchanger plates are press-fit to the rotor shaft such that each disc spring portion is deflected from a pre-installation state, and each rim member is engaged to an interior surface of the rotor shaft while being spaced apart from adjacent rim members along a rotational axis of the rotor. A first coolant passage is disposed through the hubs of the plates. The coolant apertures in the heat exchanger plates cooperate to form a plurality of second coolant passages.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2022Publication date: August 17, 2023Applicants: AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC., AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.Inventors: Jeffrey J. RONNING, Paul J. VALENTE, Christopher D. PUMP, Frederick E. ZINK, Bangalore Lingaraj YASHWANTH
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Patent number: 10119578Abstract: A vehicle driveline having a torque transfer device and a fluid circuit for operating the torque transfer device. The fluid circuit has a motor, a pump driven by the motor, an actuator, and a pair of valves. The valves are arranged in the fluid circuit to control fluid circulation within the fluid circuit and can be operated such that fluid pressure in the actuator can be maintained (i.e., to maintain engagement of the torque transfer device) without operating the pump.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2016Date of Patent: November 6, 2018Assignee: AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.Inventors: Christopher D. Pump, Charles G. Stuart, John C. Hibbler, Chad Umscheid
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Patent number: 9902263Abstract: A clutched device can include a differential and first and second conduits. The differential can transmit differential power to first and second outputs. Clutch plates can rotate through a clutch cavity and transmit power between the second output and a third output. An outer carrier and an inner carrier can be coupled for rotation with the second and third outputs, respectively. The first conduit can be open to a first peripheral region of the clutch cavity and fluidly couples the first region to a cavity separate from the clutch cavity. The second conduit can be open to a second peripheral region that is circumferentially spaced apart from the first region. The second conduit can fluidly couple the second region to a central region of the clutch cavity. Rotation of the outer carrier in opposite rotational directions slings lubricant to the first and second conduits, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2015Date of Patent: February 27, 2018Assignee: AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC.Inventor: Christopher D. Pump
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Patent number: 9776508Abstract: An all-wheel drive vehicle driveline that includes a housing assembly with a housing structure and a cover. In one form, components of the driveline can be assembled to the housing structure and cover in such a way that an intermediate shaft, which is assembled to the cover, and an input shaft, which can be rotatably mounted to the housing structure, can be slidably engaged to one another. In another form, the cover defines a reservoir that is configured to feed fluid to a pump that is mounted to the cover.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2015Date of Patent: October 3, 2017Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Mario Amerla, Christopher D. Pump, Paul Reichert
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Publication number: 20170144542Abstract: A clutched device can include a differential and first and second conduits. The differential can transmit differential power to first and second outputs. Clutch plates can rotate through a clutch cavity and transmit power between the second output and a third output. An outer carrier and an inner carrier can be coupled for rotation with the second and third outputs, respectively. The first conduit can be open to a first peripheral region of the clutch cavity and fluidly couples the first region to a cavity separate from the clutch cavity. The second conduit can be open to a second peripheral region that is circumferentially spaced apart from the first region. The second conduit can fluidly couple the second region to a central region of the clutch cavity. Rotation of the outer carrier in opposite rotational directions slings lubricant to the first and second conduits, respectively.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 24, 2015Publication date: May 25, 2017Inventor: Christopher D. Pump
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Publication number: 20160333945Abstract: A vehicle driveline having a torque transfer device and a fluid circuit for operating the torque transfer device. The fluid circuit has a motor, a pump driven by the motor, an actuator, and a pair of valves. The valves are arranged in the fluid circuit to control fluid circulation within the fluid circuit and can be operated such that fluid pressure in the actuator can be maintained (i.e., to maintain engagement of the torque transfer device) without operating the pump.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 28, 2016Publication date: November 17, 2016Inventors: Christopher D. Pump, Charles G. Stuart, John C. Hibbler, Chad Umscheid
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Patent number: 9353846Abstract: A power transmitting component can include a differential, a first sump, a clutch assembly, a reservoir, a pump, and a fluid circuit. The pump can operate in a first mode to pump fluid from a reservoir to the piston chamber to move the piston to a second position. The pump can operate in a second mode to pump fluid from the piston chamber to the reservoir to move the piston to a first position. The fluid circuit can fluidly couple the reservoir to the first sump when the piston is in the first position and the pump is operated in the second mode. The pump can be configured to pump fluid from the first sump through the fluid circuit when the fluid circuit fluidly couples the first sump and the reservoir.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2014Date of Patent: May 31, 2016Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.Inventor: Christopher D. Pump
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Patent number: 9249873Abstract: The present teachings provide for a power transmitting component including a housing, a clutch, a vent, and a dam. The vent can fluidly couple a first and second cavity. The dam can include a door member. Rotation of the outer carrier through a fluid in the second cavity can sling a portion of the fluid toward the vent to cause the portion of the fluid to be transferred from the second cavity, through the vent, and to the first cavity. When the piston is in a first position, the door member can be in a closed position to limit fluid flow from the first cavity to the second cavity. When the piston is in a second position, the door member can be in an open position to allow fluid to flow from the first cavity to the second cavity.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2014Date of Patent: February 2, 2016Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.Inventors: Christopher D. Pump, Charles G. Stuart, John C. Hibbler, James P. Downs, Shawn S. Proctor, Robert J. DeGowske, Adrian M. Lenczewski, Firoz Ali S. Jafri, Paul J. Valente, Brian McCormick, Thomas C. Bowen, Paul W. Kornosky
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Publication number: 20150298544Abstract: An all-wheel drive vehicle driveline that includes a housing assembly with a housing structure and a cover. In one form, components of the driveline can be assembled to the housing structure and cover in such a way that an intermediate shaft, which is assembled to the cover, and an input shaft, which can be rotatably mounted to the housing structure, can be slidably engaged to one another. In another form, the cover defines a reservoir that is configured to feed fluid to a pump that is mounted to the cover.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 15, 2015Publication date: October 22, 2015Inventors: Mario Amerla, Christopher D. Pump, Paul Reichert
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Publication number: 20150057125Abstract: The present teachings provide for a power transmitting component including a housing, a clutch, a vent, and a dam. The vent can fluidly couple a first and second cavity. The dam can include a door member. Rotation of the outer carrier through a fluid in the second cavity can sling a portion of the fluid toward the vent to cause the portion of the fluid to be transferred from the second cavity, through the vent, and to the first cavity. When the piston is in a first position, the door member can be in a closed position to limit fluid flow from the first cavity to the second cavity. When the piston is in a second position, the door member can be in an open position to allow fluid to flow from the first cavity to the second cavity.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2014Publication date: February 26, 2015Inventors: Christopher D. Pump, Charles G. Stuart, John C. Hibbler, James P. Downs, Shawn S. Proctor, Robert J. DeGowske, Adrian M. Lenczewski, Firoz Ali S. Jafri, Paul J. Valente, Brian McCormick, Thomas C. Bowen, Paul W. Kornosky
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Publication number: 20150057124Abstract: A power transmitting component can include a differential, a first sump, a clutch assembly, a reservoir, a pump, and a fluid circuit. The pump can operate in a first mode to pump fluid from a reservoir to the piston chamber to move the piston to a second position. The pump can operate in a second mode to pump fluid from the piston chamber to the reservoir to move the piston to a first position. The fluid circuit can fluidly couple the reservoir to the first sump when the piston is in the first position and the pump is operated in the second mode. The pump can be configured to pump fluid from the first sump through the fluid circuit when the fluid circuit fluidly couples the first sump and the reservoir.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 20, 2014Publication date: February 26, 2015Inventor: Christopher D. Pump