Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Brian Schneidewind

Nicholas Vernon

Geoffrey David Gaither

Venkat R Deshpande

Sam David Koch

Corey Zwegers

Douglas A Siewert

Lincoln Morfin

Bradley Steven Baskin

Jordan S Guttrich

Adam R Vanantwerp

A wheeled luggage item includes a base defining an interior cavity, and a liner structured to partition the interior cavity into a first portion and a second portion physically isolated from the first portion. Personal luggage items may be stored in the cavity first portion. First and second wheels are rotatably coupled to the base so as to be movable between stowed positions in the cavity second portion and deployed positions outside the base, to enable a riding mode of the luggage item. Steering levers are rotatably deployable to operably connect to the first wheel, enabling the first wheel to be steered by a user riding the luggage item in the riding mode. To propel the luggage item in the riding mode, a battery in the interior cavity may power an in-wheel motor operably connected to the second wheel.

Wheeled luggage item with integrated personal mobility capability

A hybrid drive train includes a first electric motor, a nested power splitting planetary gear set having a first carrier element and a second carrier element, an inner sun gear coupled with the first electric motor and an outer sun gear coupled with an output shaft. A first selectable one-way clutch controls the first and the second carrier element, and switches between operation as a one way clutch and operation as a brake. A second selectable one-way clutch controls a ring gear of the nested planetary gear set, and switches between operation as a one way clutch and operation as a brake. The extra outer planetary gear set improves lowing capacity at higher speeds without substantially increasing the axial length of the power split device.

Two motor power-split hybrid system with selectable one-way clutch enabled lockable planetary gear sets for two-speed dual motor EV and engine plus dual motor drive modes

A battery pack assembly includes a plurality of battery cells and a pair of elongated connector terminal plates. Each battery cell has a terminal side and an opposite floor side. A pair of terminals extend from each of the plurality of battery cells on the terminal side. Each of the pair of elongated connector terminal plates includes an upper and a lower elongated terminal connector. The upper and lower elongated terminal connector plates of each of the pair of elongated connector terminal plates are configured to independently move between an aligned position and an engaged position such that in the engaged position the pair of elongated connector terminal plates retain the plurality of battery cells and in the aligned position the pair of elongated connector terminal plates are removed from the battery pack releasing the plurality of battery cells.

Bar module terminal assemblies having pairs of elongated terminal plates

Embodiments described herein generally relate to a battery pack assembly. The battery pack assembly includes a plurality of housing segments and a plurality of battery cells. The plurality of housing segments are coupled to one another. Each one of the plurality of housing segments includes a terminal receiving portion. The terminal receiving portion has a pair of end walls, a pair of side walls and a floor. A terminal connector is positioned within the terminal receiving portion. The terminal connector has a pair of openings. Each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells has a terminal side. A pair of terminals are positioned on the terminal side of each of the plurality of battery cells. Each one of the plurality of housing segments are configured to be rotated with respect to an adjacent housing segment between a use position and a maintenance position.

Rotatable terminal plate housing assemblies and methods thereof

A hybrid drive train includes a first electric motor, a nested power splitting planetary gear set having a first carrier element and a second carrier element, an inner sun gear coupled with the first electric motor and an outer sun gear coupled with an output shaft. A first selectable one-way clutch controls the first and the second carrier element, and switches between operation as a one way clutch and operation as a brake. A second selectable one-way clutch controls a ring gear of the nested planetary gear set, and switches between operation as a one way clutch and operation as a brake. The extra outer planetary gear set improves towing capacity at higher speeds without substantially increasing the axial length of the power split device.

An automatic transmission and a method of synchronization are described. The automatic transmission includes a plurality of planetary gear sets, a plurality of dog clutches and a plurality of brakes coupled to the plurality of planetary gear sets, and an electric machine coupled to the plurality of dog clutches and a plurality of brakes via the planetary gear sets. Further, the automatic transmission includes a first speed sensor measuring a first speed of the electric machine and a second speed sensor measuring a second speed of an output shaft, and a synchronization controller configured to receive the first speed sensor data and the second speed sensor data, determine a synchronization speed, and adjust the first speed of the electric machine to the synchronization speed.

Automatic transmission with electric synchronization

An multi-speed automatic transmission providing at least nine forward speeds and one reverse speed, includes four planetary gear sets, six shift control elements, an input shaft, an output shaft, and a transmission case. Each planetary gear set includes a sun gear, a pinion gear set, a carrier that rotatably supports the pinion gear set, and a ring gear. A carrier of a first planetary gear set is connected to the ring gear of a second planetary gear set and a carrier of the second planetary gear set is connected to the ring gear of the first planetary gear set. The first and second planetary gear sets are concentrically arranged in a common plane.

Multi-speed automatic transmission

An automatic transmission includes a first planetary gear set including a first sun gear, a first pinion, and a ring gear of the first planetary gear set. The transmission includes a second planetary gear set including a second sun gear, a second pinion, and a common gear. The transmission includes a third planetary gear set including a third sun gear, the second pinion, a third pinion, and the common gear. The transmission also includes a fourth planetary gear set including the common gear, a fourth pinion, and a ring gear of the fourth planetary gear set. The second planetary gear set and the third planetary gear set form a Ravigneaux gear set. The fourth planetary gear set is concentrically arranged with the second planetary gear set or the third planetary gear set, and the second and third planetary gear sets are radially inward of the fourth planetary gear set.

An automatic transmission includes a first planetary gear set including a first sun gear, a first pinion, a second pinion, and a common ring gear, and includes a second planetary gear set including a second sun gear, the second pinion, and the common ring gear. The transmission includes a third planetary gear set including a third sun gear, a third pinion, and a ring gear of the third set, and includes a fourth planetary gear set including a fourth sun gear, a fourth pinion, and a ring gear of the fourth set. The transmission also includes a first planetary carrier rotatably supporting the first pinion, the second pinion, and the third pinion. The common ring gear is directly connected to the ring gear of the fourth set, and a second planetary carrier rotatably supports the fourth pinion and is directly connected to the ring gear of the third set.

A wheel assembly for a vehicle may include a rim and an energy recovery system. The energy recovery system may include a flywheel and an infinitely variable transmission (IVT). The flywheel may be concentric with the rim and operable to rotate relative to the rim. The IVT may be positioned within the flywheel and couple the rim to the flywheel. When the vehicle is decelerating and an angular velocity of the rim is greater than an angular velocity of the flywheel, kinetic energy of the rim may be imparted to the flywheel and stored as mechanical potential energy thereby providing a braking force to the vehicle. Alternatively, when the vehicle is accelerating and the angular velocity of the rim is less than the angular velocity of the flywheel, the mechanical potential energy of the flywheel may be imparted to the wheel thereby providing an accelerating force to the vehicle.

Energy recovery systems for vehicles and wheels comprising the same

A wheel assembly for a vehicle includes a rim and an energy recovery system. The energy recovery system includes a flywheel, a continuously variable planetary (CVP), a first planetary gear set, and a second planetary gear set. The flywheel is substantially concentric with the rim and operable to rotate relative to the rim. The CVP is positioned within the flywheel and is operable to transmit rotational motion between the flywheel and the rim. The first planetary gear set is rotationally coupled to the rim and the CVP such that rotational motion transmitted between the CVP and the rim is transmitted through the first planetary gear set. The second planetary gear set is rotationally coupled to the CVP, the rim and the flywheel such that rotational motion transmitted between the CVP, the rim and the flywheel is transmitted through the second planetary gear set.

Energy recovery systems for vehicles and vehicle wheels comprising the same

A clutch assembly for use in an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle includes a drum movable about a rotational axis and having a generally annular recess for supporting components of the clutch assembly therein. A clutch pack is supported in the recess in the drum. A clutch piston is movably coupled to the drum and movable in a generally axial direction between engaged and disengaged positions relative to the clutch pack. At least one biasing spring continuously biases the clutch piston toward the disengaged position. A resin balancer plate has a side wall in contact with one end of the at least one biasing spring. The side wall is reinforced by a box section formed by: an outer wall that extends at an angle from one end of the side wall, an inner wall that extends from an opposite end of the side wall and is stepped in an axial direction toward the clutch piston, and a reinforcing rib interconnecting the side wall, outer wall and inner wall. An integral lip extends from an outer end of the balance plate to form a seal with the clutch piston.

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Brian Schneidewind