Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Dengfu Zhang

Mark Steward

David Beck

Chin-Yuan Perng

Mark Davis

Akhter Uz Zaman

Franco Leonardi

Norman Jerry Bird

Derek Kinch

Joel A Hetrick

William F Riley

Alfredo R Munoz

Robert J Miller

William David Guarino

Brian Christian Orr

Brian Richard Light

Jau-Wen Tseng

Marc Thomas Wilkins

John Edsel Robarge

Michael Carter

Vijay Kumar Chimakurthy

Bharath Madduri

Richard Simon Boerema

Samantha Hart

Pablo Davilla

Lisa Jamieson

An electric machine including a stator core having an outer circumferential surface and an axial row of raised projections that extend radially outboard from the outer surface. The raised projections are axially spaced from each other to define circumferential channels therebetween. A housing defines a cavity that receives the stator core. The housing has an inner circumferential surface in contact with the raised projections and radially spaced from the outer surface of the core to define a void space in fluid communication with the channels. The void space and the channels cooperate to form a fluid circuit that overlays the outer circumferential surface such that the fluid is in direct contact with the stator core.

Electric machine thermal management

An electrical machine assembly includes a shaft rotatable about an axis of an electric machine and first and second endcaps mounted to the shaft. The first endcap includes a first endcap coolant channel. The second endcap includes a second endcap coolant channel. A rotor is mounted to the shaft axially between the first and second endcaps. The rotor includes first rotor coolant channels and second rotor coolant channels. The first rotor coolant channels are configured to communicate liquid coolant that is received from the first endcap coolant channel axially through the rotor in a first direction. The second rotor coolant channels are configured to communicate liquid coolant that is received from the second endcap coolant channel axially through the rotor in a second direction that is opposite the first direction.

Electric machine thermal management assembly and method

A sliding vane pump includes a fixed housing defining inlet and outlet ports and a sliding housing defining a cylindrical cavity and configured to slide within the fixed housing. The fixed housing and the sliding housing define a gap therebetween. A rotor is configured to rotate within the cylindrical cavity and has a plurality of vanes configured to seal against an inner circumferential wall of the cylindrical cavity to define a plurality of pumping chambers. A seal is located in the gap disposed between the fixed housing and the sliding housing to split the gap into first and second compensation chambers. The first chamber is fluidly connected to a first pumping chamber of the plurality of pumping chambers and the second chamber is connected to a second pumping chamber of the plurality of pumping chambers.

Sliding-pocket variable-displacement pump with compensation chambers

A clutch assembly includes a clutch housing, a clutch hub, a clutch pack and an oil deflector. The clutch pack includes at least one friction plate connected to one of the clutch housing and the clutch hub and at least one separator plate connected to the other of the clutch housing and the clutch hub. The oil deflector includes a circumferential wall and a flange. The circumferential wall includes a drain slot. The flange extends radially outwardly from an end of the circumferential wall and is mounted to one of the at least one separator plate and the at least one friction plate. The circumferential wall and the first flange cooperate to define a channel. Lubricant flowing along the clutch housing flows to the channel where the lubricant is directed away from the clutch pack and out of the drain slot.

Vehicle clutch assembly having oil deflector

A vehicle driveline component includes a hollow motor shaft and a link shaft. The hollow motor shaft is supported for rotation about an axis including a plurality of grooves extending along an interior surface of the motor shaft. The link shaft cooperates with the interior surface of the motor shaft and the grooves to define a space between the link shaft and the motor shaft. The grooves are configured to force liquid lubricant to flow through the space in a longitudinal direction relative to the link shaft and the motor shaft when the motor shaft rotates. The link shaft includes a lubricant passage, a first connecting lubricant passage, and a second connecting lubricant passage. The lubricant passage extends along a longitudinal direction of the link shaft. The first and second connecting lubricant passages provide fluid communication between the longitudinal lubricant passage and the space.

Vehicle driveline component

A transmission includes a clutch configured to selectively couple a clutch hub to a clutch housing. The clutch hub includes a channel to provide oil from a central passageway to remove heat from a clutch pack. The oil runs along a disk of the clutch hub to a perforated annular ring of the clutch hub, then through the perforations to the clutch pack. An oil deflector limits the flow of oil at low clutch hub speeds. The deflector is mounted to the clutch hub disk to create a flow restriction. At low speeds, the oil builds up in a reservoir radially inside the restriction and then spills over a dam and is directed away from the clutch pack by a conical surface. The reduced oil flow at low speeds reduces parasitic loss. At higher speeds, centrifugal forces increase the flow rate.

Transmission clutch with passive, speed-based fluid distribution

A one-way clutch is provided. The one-way clutch may include an inner race and an outer race that may be provided with a pocket defining a leading edge and a trailing edge that may define a fluid passage. The one-way clutch may also include a rocker. The rocker may be disposed between the inner and outer races and include first and second ends. The first end may define first cross-sectional area and the second end, and the leading edge may define a second cross-sectional area that is less than the first.

Fluid routing within a clutch

A transmission assembly including a housing, an electric motor, and a baffle is provided. The housing may include first and second drainage channels. The electric motor may be disposed within the housing adjacent the drainage channels and a torque converter. The baffle may be disposed within the housing upon a housing inner surface, and may define an opening to the first and second drainage channels. The baffle may include a baffle flange sized for positioning adjacent the torque converter to minimize contact of oil within the housing to the torque converter. The housing may define first and second partition walls each partially extending over one of the first and second drainage channels. The baffle may further include first and second seal features each disposed at one of two baffle ends.

Hybrid transmission coolant flow management system

According to one or more embodiments, a clutch pack includes a first set of clutch plates arranged in an alternating configuration with a second set of clutch plates. The first set of clutch plates has a plurality of friction pads made of friction material and defining channels in the friction material. The channels are configured to allow lubricant to flow between the friction pads. Each of the friction pads defines a groove in the friction pad. The groove is disconnected from the channels. The groove thereby creates a flow induced high pressure region forcing the first set of clutch plates to a center between the second set of clutch plates.

Clutch plate separation for drag loss reduction

A baffle for a transmission of a vehicle is provided. The transmission includes a gearbox that outputs torque to a differential, which distributes the torque to the wheels. A chain transfers the torque from the transmission to the differential. A baffle is provided adjacent to, but spaced from, the chain to contain and direct at least some of the lubricating fluid that the chain comes in contact with. The baffle has a base with a planar side surface. A flange extends from the base, and extends radially about part of the transmission output and the differential input to follow the path of the chain. One end of the flange is provided with an opening to direct fluid through the opening, out of the baffle and into other regions of the transmission such as the transmission sump. This inhibits buildup of fluid in the sump of the baffle.

Baffle for automotive transmission

A snubber for an automotive transmission includes a generally flat surface configured to limit radially-outward movement of a drive member that transfers torque from a transmission gearbox output to a differential input. A mouth of the snubber is fluidly coupled to an internal cavity that capturing transmission fluid as the fluid is moved around due to movement of the drive member. A wing of the snubber extends from the generally flat surface toward the drive member. The wing has a hollow interior fluidly coupled to the internal cavity. A concave outer surface is located outside of and adjacent to the mouth. The concave surface deflects a portion of the fluid, preventing that portion from entering the mouth. This increases the flow of fluid away from the drive member which can lead to drag.

Snubber with scoop feature for automotive transmission

A clutch for an automatic transmission includes a clutch pack having a first set of friction disks interleaved with a second set of friction disks. The clutch further includes an annulus having an outer surface connected to the first friction disks and an inner surface. The annulus defines oil holes extending from the inner surface to the outer surface to permit oil to flow from the inner surface to the clutch pack. Air passageways are defined in the annulus and extend through the annulus permitting air to flow from the inner surface to the clutch pack to reduce drag losses between the first and second sets of disks. Each of the air passageways have an entrance that is radially inboard of an entrance of each of the oil holes.

Clutch assembly for automatic transmission

A sliding vane pump includes a passageway that fluidly connects one or more pumping chambers to a side chamber. The passageway pressurizes the side chamber. This fluid pressure exerts a force that counteracts the force caused by pressure differences between the outlet pumping chambers and the inlet pumping chambers. At high speed, part of the side chamber is pressurized by the smallest volume outlet pumping chamber while another portion of the side chamber is pressurized by the largest volume outlet chamber. This results in a force counteracting an uncommanded displacement decrease of the pump.

Variable displacement vane pump

A vehicle axle includes a housing defining a sump, a gear assembly and a baffle. The gear assembly includes a ring gear disposed within the housing. The ring gear is configured to pump fluid throughout the housing. A pinion gear is meshed with the ring gear. The baffle is disposed within the sump and connected to the housing. The baffle has a first part being configured to control fluid flow across the ring gear and a second part attached to the first part. The second part is configured to control fluid flow across the pinion gear.

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Northville, MI, United States of America

Dengfu Zhang