Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

The Gates Corporation

Benjamin R Langhorst

Alexander Serkh

Dean J Schneider

Amy Ellen Langhorst

Jason J Powell

A system for a vehicle includes a powertrain configured to propel the vehicle, and a controller configured to, during a first lap of the vehicle around a track, identify a portion of the track corresponding to a correlation of velocity, throttle position, and steering angle values indicative of a maximum power threshold, and, during a second lap, responsive to approaching the portion, limit power output by the powertrain causing temperature of the powertrain to fall and, upon entering the portion, increase power output to the maximum power threshold causing the temperature to rise, such that a difference in temperature between initiation of the limiting and exiting of the portion approaches zero.

Lap learning for vehicle energy management optimization

A painted vehicle trim component such as a spoiler, side-view mirror housing, or other vehicle body part is provided with electroluminescent paint to emit light from its surface. The trim component includes a substrate having a mounting surface for attaching to the vehicle. A conductor body is at least partially embedded in the substrate to provide a conductive surface exposed externally of the substrate. A conductive wire is crimped to the conductor body and is adapted to connect to an electrical power source remotely from the vehicle trim component. A conductive bus bar paint layer is deposited over the substrate and onto the exposed conductive surface of the conductor body. A light-emitting paint layer deposited over the substrate is disposed relative to the conductive paint layer such that light is emitted when an electrical signal is received at the conductive wire.

Painted electroluminescent vehicle trim components

An isolating decoupler comprising a hub for connection to a shaft, a pulley journalled to the hub, the pulley having a belt engaging surface, a composite spring having a clutch portion, a transition portion and a variable diameter portion, the composite spring engaged between the hub and the pulley, the clutch portion diameter reducible in a loading direction for a frictional engagement with the pulley in the loading direction, the frictional engagement of the clutch portion progressively releasable from the pulley in an unloading direction, the variable diameter portion having a diameter which varies according to a torque load; and an inertial member engaged with the hub through a damping member.

Isolating decoupler

A self-locking clutch mechanism comprising a base, an output member journalled to the base, a first spring engaged between the base and the output member, the first spring exerting a first spring force in a first direction, a clutch spring engaged with an intermediate member and frictionally engaged with a base cylindrical surface, an input member rotationally engaged with the base, the input member intermittently engagable with the clutch spring through a control member such that the clutch spring is temporarily released from the base cylindrical surface upon a rotary movement of the control member in a first direction, the intermediate member rotates upon release of the clutch spring from the base cylindrical surface, and a second spring engaged between the intermediate member and the output member, the second spring exerting a second spring force opposite the first spring force.

Growing community of inventors

Beverly Hills, MI, United States of America

Benjamin R Langhorst