Patents by Inventor Joachim DRUANT

Joachim DRUANT 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: 11976697
    Abstract: Methods and systems for operating a driveline disconnect clutch actuator are provided. In one example, the driveline disconnect clutch actuator may be supplied with electric power to activate and deactivate a driveline disconnect clutch when electric power is available via a first power source. The driveline disconnect clutch actuator may be supplied with electric power to open the driveline disconnect clutch when output from the first driveline disconnect clutch is unavailable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: DANA BELGIUM N.V.
    Inventors: Joachim Druant, Thomas Vyncke
  • Publication number: 20240146154
    Abstract: Systems and methods for electric machine cooling. The electric machine, in one example, includes a rotor that includes an outer circumferential surface with one or more spiral grooves, a stator that circumferentially surrounds the rotor and includes end windings, and an air passage radially extending from the stator to an air gap between the stator and the rotor. The electric machine further includes a cooling assembly configured to spray a coolant towards the end windings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2022
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventors: Steven VANHEE, Joachim DRUANT
  • Publication number: 20240146166
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for an electric machine. In example, an electric machine includes a stator that electromagnetically interacts with a rotor during electric machine operation. The electric machine further includes a first gear coupled to or included in a rotor shaft, a spring assembly coupled to a first side of the rotor and exerting a first axial force on the rotor, and a second gear that meshes with the first gear and exerts a second axial force that is opposite the first axial force, where a magnitude of the second axial force corresponds to a rotor torque.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2022
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventors: Joachim DRUANT, Thibault DEVREESE
  • Patent number: 11967888
    Abstract: An electric motor and inverter assembly and a method of assembly therefor, the electric motor and inverter assembly having a motor housing portion, a DC bus bar for electrically connecting a DC power source to an inverter power module where the DC bus bar is mounted on the housing portion, and a cooling channel disposed in between the housing portion and the DC bus bar for cooling the DC bus bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: DANA BELGIUM N.V.
    Inventors: Joachim Druant, Steven Vanhee
  • Patent number: 11942832
    Abstract: The present document relates to an electric drive unit, comprising: a stator configured to produce a stator magnetic field, at least a first rotor including first rotor windings, the first rotor windings for instance including multi-phase windings, and at least a first inverter electrically connected with the first rotor windings and configured to produce an electric current in the first rotor windings for producing a first rotor magnetic field. The stator magnetic field is configured to interact with the first rotor magnetic field to exert a torque on the first rotor. The present document further relates to a method of operating the electric drive unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: DANA BELGIUM N.V.
    Inventors: Joachim Druant, Steven Vanhee
  • Patent number: 11942825
    Abstract: Systems and methods for cooling an electric motor in an electric drive unit are provided. In one example, the electric motor includes a stator and an inverter power module positioned within a motor housing. The inverter power module forms an interface with a peripheral surface of an outer section of stator laminations of the stator, and the stator laminations include a plurality of cutouts forming axially extending oil ducts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: DANA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GROUP, LLC
    Inventors: Joachim Druant, Steven Vanhee, Thibault Devreese
  • Patent number: 11929686
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are power conversion devices comprising power modules, capacitor modules, and support frames. The power modules may be operable to convert direct current (DC) electricity to alternating current (AC) electricity. The capacitor modules may be electrically connected to the power modules. The support frames may house the power modules and conductor plates, and the capacitor modules may be at least partially wound around exterior sides of the support frames. Such arrangements may advantageously take up less installation space and/or have better form factors than power conversion devices with cylindrical capacitors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: DANA BELGIUM N.V.
    Inventor: Joachim Druant
  • Publication number: 20240048005
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating an electric motor including multiple rotor and stator sections. In one example, a system may include the multiple rotor sections configured to be mechanically coupled and decoupled from each other concurrently with multiple stator sections configured to be electrically coupled and decoupled from each other, within certain regimes of operation of the electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Joachim DRUANT, Steven VANHEE
  • Publication number: 20240044394
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a transmission for a vehicle having a power source, the transmission comprising: an input member for receiving power from the power source; an output member for outputting power to at least one component of the vehicle; at least one power split gear set having a plurality of members and operatively connected between said input member and said output member; an electromagnetic variator having a stator, an outer rotor and an inner rotor; wherein the inner rotor is at least partially received in the outer rotor and the electromagnetic variator is configured to provide variable torque transmission ratios between the outer rotor and inner rotor; and wherein said first and second rotors are each operatively connectable to different ones of said members of said power split gear set and are each operatively connectable to the input member to be driven thereby.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Steven VANHEE, Bert HANNON, Joachim DRUANT
  • Patent number: 11870302
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating an electric motor including multiple rotor and stator sections. In one example, a system may include the multiple rotor sections configured to be mechanically coupled and decoupled from each other concurrently with multiple stator sections configured to be electrically coupled and decoupled from each other, within certain regimes of operation of the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: DANA AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS GROUP, LLC
    Inventors: Joachim Druant, Steven Vanhee
  • Publication number: 20230402900
    Abstract: Systems are provided for an electric motor. In one example, a rotor assembly of the electric motor includes a shaft, a lubricant distributor inserted into the shaft, the lubricant distributor comprising a first section comprising a plurality of first nozzles and a second section comprising a plurality of second nozzles, the lubricant distributor further comprising an overflow portion arranged between the first and second sections, and a stationary lance positioned adjacent to the first section of the lubricant distributor, the lance comprising a plurality of radial nozzles. The rotor assembly controls coolant flow towards the rotor and bearings, helping to decrease drag losses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2022
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Inventors: Steven VANHEE, Alexandre PARE, Enrico MOSCHETTI, Jaywant S. PAWAR, Joachim DRUANT, Frederik DESMET, Luke MILLER, Sergio DE SANTIS, Carl TRUDEL
  • Patent number: 11799362
    Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for a system for cooling an electric motor. The cooling system includes a primary coolant passage through a rotor shaft linked to a plurality of secondary passages though lamination stacks of a rotor configured to receive coolant at a central region of the lamination stacks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Dana Automotive Systems Group, LLC
    Inventors: Thibault Devreese, Steven Vanhee, Joachim Druant
  • Publication number: 20230261536
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided to cool an electric machine. In one embodiment, an electric machine includes a rotor assembly that includes a rotor shaft and a stack of rotor laminations. The rotor assembly further includes one or more nozzles designed to receive pressurized coolant from a rotor shaft coolant passage and deliver the coolant to a set of open coolant channels in the stack of rotor laminations, wherein the set open coolant channels includes outlets that are profiled to direct the coolant towards a groove in a balancing plate that is coupled to the rotor assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2022
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Steven VANHEE, Joachim DRUANT, Thibault DEVREESE, Carl TRUDEL, Luke MILLER, Jaywant S. PAWAR
  • Publication number: 20230223801
    Abstract: Systems and methods for cooling an electric motor in an electric drive unit are provided. In one example, the electric motor includes a stator and an inverter power module positioned within a motor housing. The inverter power module forms an interface with a peripheral surface of an outer section of stator laminations of the stator, and the stator laminations include a plurality of cutouts forming axially extending oil ducts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Inventors: Joachim DRUANT, Steven VANHEE, Thibault DEVREESE
  • Publication number: 20230187991
    Abstract: Systems are provided for stator slots with multiple rectangular layers of differing widths. In one example, a system may include a stator including a plurality of segmented slots included around an inner circumference of the stator. Each segmented slot may contain within it legs of hairpin wires, the legs within each slot including differing widths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Inventors: Joachim DRUANT, Steven VANHEE
  • Publication number: 20230092822
    Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for a system for cooling an electric motor. The cooling system includes a primary coolant passage through a rotor shaft linked to a plurality of secondary passages though lamination stacks of a rotor configured to receive coolant at a central region of the lamination stacks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Thibault DEVREESE, Steven VANHEE, Joachim DRUANT
  • Publication number: 20230093220
    Abstract: Systems and methods for cooling an electric motor in an electric drive unit are provided. In one example, the electric drive unit includes electric motor with a housing with a water jacket arranged therein, a stator that includes a plurality of stator laminations positioned within the housing, and an oil inlet mounted to and extending through the housing. The plurality of stator laminations includes a radial opening that is designed to receive oil from the oil inlet and direct oil to one or more oil ducts that axially extend through at least a portion of the plurality of stator laminations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Steven VANHEE, Joachim DRUANT, Thibault DEVREESE, Luke MILLER
  • Publication number: 20230054487
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for operating an electric motor including multiple rotor and stator sections. In one example, a system may include the multiple rotor sections configured to be mechanically coupled and decoupled from each other concurrently with multiple stator sections configured to be electrically coupled and decoupled from each other, within certain regimes of operation of the electric motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Inventors: Joachim DRUANT, Steven VANHEE
  • Publication number: 20230017636
    Abstract: Systems are provided for an electronic drive unit. In one example, the electronic drive unit comprises a cooling passage integrally arranged therein, wherein the cooling passage is sealed via laminations of the stator. The laminations are further shaped to jet oil from the cooling passage onto end-windings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Steven VANHEE, Joachim DRUANT, Thibault DEVREESE
  • Publication number: 20220389978
    Abstract: Methods and systems for operating a driveline disconnect clutch actuator are provided. In one example, the driveline disconnect clutch actuator may be supplied with electric power to activate and deactivate a driveline disconnect clutch when electric power is available via a first power source. The driveline disconnect clutch actuator may be supplied with electric power to open the driveline disconnect clutch when output from the first driveline disconnect clutch is unavailable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2021
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventors: Joachim DRUANT, Thomas VYNCKE