Patents by Inventor Daniel M. Drill

Daniel M. Drill 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: 10479198
    Abstract: A transfer case for use in a four-wheel drive vehicle and having a clutch assembly disposed on a front output and a pass-through rear output arrangement. The front output is a front output shall. The rear output is established by directly interconnecting a transmission output shaft to an end segment of a rear propshaft. A transfer assembly is driven by the transmission output shaft and can be selectively coupled to the front output shaft via the clutch assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: MAGNA POWERTRAIN OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Daniel M. Drill
  • Patent number: 10464415
    Abstract: A two-speed transfer case for a four-wheel drive vehicle is provided. The transfer case has a two-speed gear reduction unit, a range clutch, and a range shift mechanism. The range shift mechanism is operably disposed between an input shaft and a rear output shaft and includes a range cam defining a guide slot having a unique profile for converting rotation thereof into linear movement of the range clutch. The guide slot includes low-range dwell segment and a high-range dwell segment interconnected by a range shift segment. The range shift segment defines a plurality of interconnected cam portions, wherein each cam portion is associated with a different load required to move the range clutch between a high-range and low-range position. The transfer case further includes a mode shift mechanism for establishing a high-range drive connection and a low-range drive connection associated with the dwells of the range cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: MAGNA POWERTRAIN OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Anupam Sharma, Pete Jarzyna, Dan Harmon, Daniel M. Drill
  • Patent number: 10330189
    Abstract: An active transfer case is disclosed having a multi-plate friction clutch installed on the front output shaft. A splash recovery lubrication system is provided to capture lubricant splashed from the sump in response to rotation of the friction clutch and transfer the captured lubricant to a central clutch feed chamber to cool and lubricate the components of the friction clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: MAGNA POWERTRAIN OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Daniel M. Drill, Borin Reth, Julio Cesar Martinez Frausto
  • Patent number: 10330183
    Abstract: A two-speed active transfer case includes an input shaft adapted to receive drive torque from a powertrain, a rear output shaft adapted for connection to a rear driveline and aligned with the input shaft for rotation about a first rotary axis, a front output shaft adapted for connection to a front driveline and aligned for rotation about a second rotary axis, and a transfer mechanism driven by the rear output shaft. The transfer case also includes a two-speed range mechanism operably disposed between the input shaft and the rear output shaft, a range shift mechanism for controlling operation of the two-speed range mechanism, a mode mechanism operably disposed between the transfer mechanism and the front output shaft, and a mode shift mechanism for controlling operation of the mode mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: MAGNA POWERTRAIN OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph P. McNally, Daniel M. Drill
  • Patent number: 10072749
    Abstract: A venting arrangement for use with power transfer assemblies of the type used in motor vehicle driveline and drivetrain applications includes a vent oil deflector assembly. The vent oil deflector assembly is associated with an inside wall within an enclosed chamber and is configured to deflect lubricating oil splashed within the chamber away from an air venting passageway. The deflection feature and the venting feature are integrated into a common assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: MAGNA POWERTRAIN OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Borin Reth, Daniel M. Drill, Faris Zahid, Jerome Cooper
  • Publication number: 20180147939
    Abstract: A two-speed transfer case for a four-wheel drive vehicle is provided. The transfer case has a two-speed gear reduction unit, a range clutch, and a range shift mechanism. The range shift mechanism is operably disposed between an input shaft and a rear output shaft and includes a range cam defining a guide slot having a unique profile for converting rotation thereof into linear movement of the range clutch. The guide slot includes low-range dwell segment and a high-range dwell segment interconnected by a range shift segment. The range shift segment defines a plurality of interconnected cam portions, wherein each cam portion is associated with a different load required to move the range clutch between a high-range and low-range position. The transfer case further includes a mode shift mechanism for establishing a high-range drive connection and a low-range drive connection associated with the dwells of the range cam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Inventors: Anupam Sharma, Pete Jarzyna, Dan Harmon, Daniel M. Drill
  • Publication number: 20170368933
    Abstract: A transfer case for use in a four-wheel drive vehicle and having a clutch assembly disposed on a front output and a pass-through rear output arrangement. The front output is a front output shall. The rear output is established by directly interconnecting a transmission output shaft to an end segment of a rear propshaft. A transfer assembly is driven by the transmission output shaft and can be selectively coupled to the front output shaft via the clutch assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventor: Daniel M. Drill
  • Publication number: 20170299046
    Abstract: A venting arrangement for use with power transfer assemblies of the type used in motor vehicle driveline and drivetrain applications includes a vent oil deflector assembly. The vent oil deflector assembly is associated with an inside wall within an enclosed chamber and is configured to deflect lubricating oil splashed within the chamber away from an air venting passageway. The deflection feature and the venting feature are integrated into a common assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Borin Reth, Daniel M. Drill, Faris Zahid, Jerome Cooper
  • Publication number: 20170152933
    Abstract: An active transfer case is disclosed having a multi-plate friction clutch installed on the front output shaft. A splash recovery lubrication system is provided to capture lubricant splashed from the sump in response to rotation of the friction clutch and transfer the captured lubricant to a central clutch feed chamber to cool and lubricate the components of the friction clutch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2017
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Inventors: Daniel M. Drill, Borin Reth, Julio Cesar Martinez Frausto
  • Patent number: 9568091
    Abstract: An active transfer case is disclosed having a multi-plate friction clutch installed on the front output shaft. A splash recovery clutch lubrication system is provided to capture lubricant splashed from the sump in response to rotation of the friction clutch and transfer the captured lubricant to a central clutch feed chamber to cool and lubricate the components of the friction clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: MAGNA POWERTRAIN OF AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Daniel M. Drill, Borin Reth
  • Publication number: 20160363201
    Abstract: A two-speed active transfer case is disclosed having an input shaft adapted to receive drive torque from a powertrain, a rear output shaft adapted for connection to a rear driveline and aligned with the input shaft for rotation about a first rotary axis, a front output shaft adapted for connection to a front driveline and aligned for rotation about a second rotary axis, a transfer mechanism driven by the rear output shaft, a two-speed range mechanism operably disposed between the input shaft and the rear output shaft, a range shift mechanism for controlling operation of the two-speed range mechanism, a mode mechanism operably disposed between the transfer mechanism and the front output shaft, and a mode shift mechanism for controlling operation of the mode mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Publication date: December 15, 2016
    Inventors: Joseph P. McNally, Daniel M. Drill
  • Publication number: 20160341300
    Abstract: An active transfer case is disclosed having a multi-plate friction clutch installed on the front output shaft. A splash recovery clutch lubrication system is provided to capture lubricant splashed from the sump in response to rotation of the friction clutch and transfer the captured lubricant to a central clutch feed chamber to cool and lubricate the components of the friction clutch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventors: Daniel M. Drill, Borin Reth