Patents by Inventor Erik Lauri

Erik Lauri 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).

  • Publication number: 20060079377
    Abstract: Method and arrangement for facilitating hill-starting of a stationary motor vehicle. The method includes applying at least one braking device using a brake pedal and estimating the traveling resistance of the vehicle using a control unit (30). The control unit (30) determines a starting gear, a starting torque and a starting speed with regard to the estimated traveling resistance. The driver releases the brake pedal and the brakes are kept applied for a certain time. The driver operates an accelerator pedal to a position at least corresponding to the minimum transmitted torque and a clutch device (2) for a gearbox (3) is activated by the control unit (30) when the starting speed has been achieved. The control unit (30) releases the braking devices as a function of the increase in the transmitted driving torque of the clutch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Publication date: April 13, 2006
    Applicant: VOLVO LASTVAGNAR AB
    Inventors: Marcus Steen, Erik Lauri, Lars Karlsson
  • Publication number: 20050170933
    Abstract: Method and device for controlling the position of an automatic disk clutch (3) as a function of the position of a throttle lever (48, 49) arranged in a vehicle is disclosed. In some preferred embodiments, the method is employed when starting the vehicle from stationary or virtually from stationary, in which a function (e.g., a primary function) of the disk clutch (3) is to transmit motive force from an internal combustion engine (1) arranged in a vehicle to an input shaft (7) of a stagegeared gearbox (9). The position (48, 49) of the disk clutch is also preferably controlled as a function of at least one of the parameters: vehicle weight; tractive resistance of the vehicle; and the selected transmission ratio between the gearbox input shaft and the driving wheels of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2005
    Publication date: August 4, 2005
    Applicant: VOLVO LASTVAGNAR AB
    Inventors: Anders Eriksson, Svante Karlsson, Erik Lauri, Marcus Steen
  • Publication number: 20050166693
    Abstract: Method and arrangement for gear upshifting in a motor vehicle. The arrangement includes an internal combustion engine (1) with an engine-braking device (52), an automated disk-clutch (3), a multi-stage gearbox (9), in the casing (8) of which an input shaft (7), an intermediate shaft (11) and a main shaft (10) are mounted, and braking means (50) for braking the intermediate shaft (11). When the upshifting takes place, the disk clutch (3) is disengaged and the intermediate shaft (11) is disengaged from the main shaft (10). The braking means (50) is activated so that the rotational speed of the intermediate shaft (11) is adapted to the next gear selected at the same time as the rotational speed of the engine (1) is adapted to the rotational speed of the input shaft (7) in the new gear by virtue of the engine-braking device (52) being activated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2004
    Publication date: August 4, 2005
    Applicant: VOLVO LASTVAGNAR AB
    Inventors: Erik Lauri, Svante Karlsson, Marcus Steen
  • Patent number: 6711486
    Abstract: Drive unit for motor vehicles, comprising an engine and an automated friction clutch arranged between the engine and its gearbox, the engagement and disengagement of the clutch being controlled by a servo unit, which is controlled by a control computer to which, from various sensors there are fed values of engine speed, rotational speed of the input shaft of the gearbox, the position of the servo unit and the position of the gearsift lever. Points on a torque curve are stored in the memory of the control computer, the curve showing the torque as a function of the servo position (the clutch position). The computer is furthermore programmed to calibrate the servo unit to a pulling position, which provides a predetermined desired value of the torque, and to check, with a certain regularity, the actual value of the torque in the pulling position and, if needed, the adjust the actual value towards the desired value by changing the position of the servo unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignee: Volvo Lastvagnar AB
    Inventors: Lars Gunnar Karlsson, Jan Erik Lauri, Karl Marcus SteƩn