Eaton Corporation

Eaton Intelligent Power Limited

Brian William Franke

James Edward McCarthy, Jr

Douglas John Nielsen

Mark Charles Barnholt

Mihai Dorobantu

Timothy Allmandinger

Michael J Hornbrook

Alexander William Jessee

Burton Robert Bever

Michael J Warwick

Stephen Thomas Hamm

A rocker assembly includes a valve bridge, a guidepost, and a spring. The valve bridge is operably associated with the rocker assembly and configured to engage a first exhaust valve and a second exhaust valve. The valve bridge includes an internal chamber extending into the valve bridge from a bottom side of the valve bridge. The guidepost is at least partially disposed within the internal chamber. The guidepost is secured to a valvetrain carrier and extends upwards to the valve bridge. The valve bridge is configured to translate along the guidepost. The spring is disposed around the guidepost. A first end of the spring is disposed on a top surface of the valvetrain carrier, and a second end of the spring is disposed against the bottom side of the valve bridge.

Valve bridge stabilizer for engine braking

A friction loss management system for an engine, comprises a combustion engine comprising a crankshaft and a plurality of cylinders, a reciprocating piston assembly connected to the crankshaft, a fuel injector, an intake valve, and an exhaust valve. A control unit comprises at least one set of control algorithms configured to receive engine power demand data, and determine a number of cylinders of the plurality of cylinders for deactivation based on the received engine power demand data and further based on sensed or stored friction values for the plurality of cylinders. Determining the number of cylinders of for deactivation minimizes friction between the plurality of cylinders and their respective reciprocating piston assembly by selecting a cylinder combination of active cylinders and deactivated cylinders with the lowest total friction while meeting engine power demand. All cylinders can be deactivated for purposes of coasting or controlling speed during platooning.

Friction mitigation in cylinder deactivation

A method for controlling vehicle speed comprises selecting an engine speed profile for a vehicle. Road grade data is received and processed to determine a road grade for the vehicle. Vehicle speed data is received and processed to determine a vehicle speed for the vehicle. A cylinder deactivation mode for a valvetrain of a multi-cylinder engine of the vehicle is selected. The cylinder deactivation mode comprises deactivating one or more intake valve, exhaust valve, and fuel injection for one or more cylinder of the multi-cylinder engine. The selected cylinder deactivation mode provides a controlled deviation from the selected engine speed profile at the road grade and vehicle speed.

Transmission control with cylinder deactivation

Extended coast and controlled deceleration using cylinder deactivation

An electromagnetic clutch assembly includes a rotor assembly operable to rotate about an axis. The electromagnetic clutch assembly also includes an armature assembly operable to rotate about the axis. The electromagnetic clutch assembly also includes an electromagnetic coupling system operable to generate a magnetic field. The magnetic field induces the rotor assembly and the armature assembly against one another along the axis for frictional engagement such that the rotor assembly and the armature assembly rotate together. The electromagnetic clutch assembly also includes an air gap defined between the rotor assembly and the armature assembly when the rotor assembly and the armature assembly are in frictional engagement. In another implementation, at least one plate is positioned between the rotor assembly and the armature assembly such that magnetic flux passes through the at least one plate. The plate is formed from a mixture of powdered metal and solid lubricant.

Electromagnetic clutch assembly

Spring slider

A driven disc assembly is provided. The backing plates have right angle depression sections that surround mounting holes of a clutch disc. The thickness of the backing plates are enlarged from their normal thickness causing a top surface of the backing plates to axially clear heads of conventional rivets. The thickness of the friction buttons on the backing plates can then be reduced to their minimal effective use thickness.

Clutch backer plate with recessed rivets

A driven disc assembly is provided wherein a clutch disc has enlarged holes for connection of opposing backing plates. The backing plates have semi-pierced sections that are insertable within mounting holes of the clutch disc. The thickness of the backing plates are enlarged from their normal thickness causing a top surface of the backing plates to axially clear heads of conventional rivets. The thickness of the friction buttons on the backing plates can then be reduced to their minimal effective use thickness.

A planetary gear damper is provided having a ring gear, a plurality of planet gears meshed with the ring gear, and a sun gear meshed with the planet gears. The planetary gear damper provides for torsional damping which has long travel and provides low rate damping.

Planetary torsional damper system

The present invention provides a lever actuator rear pull dry clutch to connect an engine with a vehicle transmission. A spring retainer and/or pressure plate of the clutch assembly has a dry lubricant for sliding in pivotal engagement with the levers to maintain the efficiency of the actuation of the clutch over an extended life cycle of the clutch assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Hamilton, IN, United States of America

Brian William Franke