Patents by Inventor Thomas Philip Flanagan

Thomas Philip Flanagan 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).

  • Electrically controlled steering assistance actuator
    Patent number: 10005488
    Abstract: A steering assistance actuator for a vehicle includes a actuator shaft, a torque sensor, a motor, a drive mechanism and a drive housing. The actuator shaft is rotatable about a first axis. The actuator shaft includes an integral torque sensor. The motor has an output shaft rotatable about a second axis. The second axis is substantially parallel to the first axis. The drive mechanism is disposed between and drivingly connects the motor and the steering column. The drive mechanism provides a speed reduction from the motor to the actuator shaft. The drive housing encloses the torque sensor and the drive mechanism and is separate from a steering gear. The drive housing also has a mounting feature to which a housing of the motor is fixed. The drive housing also has a first bearing and a second bearing rotatably supporting the actuator shaft in the drive housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Bradley G. Hochrein, Jack E. Barry, James Philip Cooper, Alex Parker, Joseph Washnock, Salvador Toledo, Timothy Patrick Diez, Thomas Philip Flanagan
  • ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED STEERING ASSISTANCE ACTUATOR
    Publication number: 20170174252
    Abstract: A steering assistance actuator for a vehicle includes a actuator shaft, a torque sensor, a motor, a drive mechanism and a drive housing. The actuator shaft is rotatable about a first axis. The actuator shaft includes an integral torque sensor. The motor has an output shaft rotatable about a second axis. The second axis is substantially parallel to the first axis. The drive mechanism is disposed between and drivingly connects the motor and the steering column. The drive mechanism provides a speed reduction from the motor to the actuator shaft. The drive housing encloses the torque sensor and the drive mechanism and is separate from a steering gear. The drive housing also has a mounting feature to which a housing of the motor is fixed. The drive housing also has a first bearing and a second bearing rotatably supporting the actuator shaft in the drive housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Bradley G. Hochrein, Jack E. Barry, James Philip Cooper, Alex Parker, Joseph Washnock, Salvador Toledo, Timothy Patrick Diez, Thomas Philip Flanagan