Patents by Inventor Dwayne P. Joppeck

Dwayne P. Joppeck 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: 7878316
    Abstract: A high torque capacity one-way clutch includes a first, inner annulus nested within a second, outer annulus. The inner annulus includes a plurality of transverse grooves on its outer surface as well as a centrally disposed circumferential groove. A like plurality of moveable struts having a central opening are received within respective grooves in the inner annulus and are retained there by a circumferential band passing through the openings in the struts and received in the circumferential groove. The outer annulus includes a plurality of transverse grooves on its inner surface and receives the inner annulus, struts and circumferential band. Upon relative rotation of the annuli in one direction, the struts engage the grooves and inhibit rotation between the annuli, thereby transmitting torque. Upon relative rotation in the opposite direction, the struts slide along the inner surface of the outer annulus without engaging and thus do not transmit torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Dwayne P. Joppeck
  • Patent number: 7874416
    Abstract: An automatic transmission has a park system with a shaft and a parking pawl. The shaft rotates in response to a gear shift lever, and a detent lever positions the parking pawl in response to rotation of the shaft. A detent spring assembly biases the detent lever and has a detent spring, cage, and roller assembly. The cage aligns the roller assembly, while the detent spring is connected to the cage at one end and has a flat reaction surface formed at a second end. A cage notch portion aligns the cage with the detent lever, and the roller assembly into a perpendicular orientation with detent lever teeth. The notch portion engages either a detent tooth or a stationary portion of an internal mode switch (IMS). A shaft inserts into a roller through a side hole in the cage to retain the roller assembly therewithin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Dwayne P. Joppeck, Kevin A. Shipley
  • Publication number: 20090090590
    Abstract: A high torque capacity one-way clutch includes a first, inner annulus nested within a second, outer annulus. The inner annulus includes a plurality of transverse grooves on its outer surface as well as a centrally disposed circumferential groove. A like plurality of moveable struts having a central opening are received within respective grooves in the inner annulus and are retained there by a circumferential band passing through the openings in the struts and received in the circumferential groove. The outer annulus includes a plurality of transverse grooves on its inner surface and receives the inner annulus, struts and circumferential band. Upon relative rotation of the annuli in one direction, the struts engage the grooves and inhibit rotation between the annuli, thereby transmitting torque. Upon relative rotation in the opposite direction, the struts slide along the inner surface of the outer annulus without engaging and thus do not transmit torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Publication date: April 9, 2009
    Inventor: DWAYNE P. JOPPECK
  • Publication number: 20090020355
    Abstract: An automatic transmission has a park system with a shaft and a parking pawl. The shaft rotates in response to a gear shift lever, and a detent lever positions the parking pawl in response to rotation of the shaft. A detent spring assembly biases the detent lever and has a detent spring, cage, and roller assembly. The cage aligns the roller assembly, while the detent spring is connected to the cage at one end and has a flat reaction surface formed at a second end. A cage notch portion aligns the cage with the detent lever, and the roller assembly into a perpendicular orientation with detent lever teeth. The notch portion engages either a detent tooth or a stationary portion of an internal mode switch (IMS). A shaft inserts into a roller through a side hole in the cage to retain the roller assembly therewithin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2007
    Publication date: January 22, 2009
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Dwayne P. Joppeck, Kevin A. Shipley
  • Patent number: 5603394
    Abstract: A roller clutch improves control of the spring at the point where it attaches to the cage. No change is made to the spring, nor to the process by which it is installed to the cage. Instead, the cage cross bar over which the mounting fold of the spring is inserted is strategically thickened so as to spread the leaves of the spring mounting fold, and put it under a preload or tension. This serves to hold the rest of the spring more firmly in position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 18, 1997
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Dwayne P. Joppeck
  • Patent number: 5535866
    Abstract: A segmented roller clutch cage is comprised of loose jointed modules that combine good clutch race conformance with easy assembly, as well as allowing for selective module disassembly axial parting motion.Each of a plurality of separately molded elements is joined to the next with identical male and female fasteners that fit together with a simple straight line push, along the cage axis. A slide and rail combination on one end of each module fits into matching grooves on the other end of each module. The grooves are created by undercut, radially opposed beam pairs, the radially outboard one of which is more flexible. A barb on the slide-rail unit is designed to snap or latch past the flexible beam. The slide and rail fit into the grooves with enough clearance to give freely expanding and contracting joints, so that between race conformance is very good. The joints may even be disassembled with a compound radial bending and axial parting motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 16, 1996
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Dwayne P. Joppeck