Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Dana Joseph Katinas

Ashok E Rodrigues

John Antoni Glab

Peter James Barrette

Syun Kyung Lee

Patrick Meloche

Joe Jay Torres

John O'Rear

A motor vehicle driveline that can transmit power in a 4&#xd7;4 mode includes two front wheels, a rear drive shaft, a differential mechanism for transmitting power to two rear axle shafts connected driveably through the differential to the rear driveshaft, and a clutch for engaging and disengaging a drive connection in the differential mechanism. A method for controlling operation of the clutch includes the steps of operating the driveline in 4&#xd7;4 mode, determining a current accelerator pedal position, determining whether a current accelerator pedal position is less than a reference position for a predetermined period, determining a current speed of each front wheel of the vehicle, determining whether a current speed difference between the front wheels of the vehicle is less than a reference wheel slip for a first predetermined period, determining during a second predetermined period whether a current time rate of speed change of the rear drive shaft is less than a reference rear wheel slip. The clutch is prevented from being engaged if either the speed difference exceeds the reference speed difference, or the time rate of speed change of the rear drive shaft is greater than a reference rear wheel slip. Otherwise, the clutch is engaged.

Locker clutch control for a differential mechanism

A four wheel drive assemblyincluding a torque transfer assemblywhich operates under the control of the controllerand which receives and selectively transfers a certain desired amount of torque to a front axlesand to the rear axlesThe amount of transferred torque varies depending upon the occurrence of a sensed slip condition the use of a pre-emptive slip control mode of operation in which the controllerdetermines that it is likely that a slip may occur. Particularly, controlleris allowed to enter the preemptive mode of operation only after an actual slip has occurred and the controllerexits this preemptive mode of operation upon the occurrence of a certain event or condition or upon the passage of a certain amount of time.

Four wheel drive assembly and a method for utilizing the same

A transfer case control system or apparatus is provided for use on a four-wheel drive vehicle of the type having a transfer case , a front driveshaft and a rear driveshaft . Transfer case control system includes a conventional microcontroller or controller having a memory unit and operating under stored program control. Controller is communicatively coupled to sensors , and to transfer case . Controller selectively transmits a torque control or minimum duty cycle signal to transfer case , which is at least partially based upon the angular position of the vehicle's steering wheel and the speed of driveshafts

Method for controlling a transfer case which reacts to steering wheel angle position

Growing community of inventors

Novi, MI, United States of America

Dana Joseph Katinas