Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Dennis Neil Wys

Norman Jerry Bird

John W Kimes

Bernard J Simon

Matthew Stephen Eiszler

James Glenn Gibboney

Gregory Daniel Goleski

Bradley Ronald Heuver

Lee John Becker

Brian Richard Light

Jason Michael Sanderson

Gregory Dean Gardner

Xiaoyong Lu

Nicholas Niemiec

John S Kozar

Kenneth W May

Srinivas M Arcota

Heng Liu

David Capoccia

A wheel end disconnect system includes an inner race connected to one of an axle half shaft and a wheel hub, an outer race connected to the other of the axle half shaft and the wheel hub, and a plurality of radially actuatable pawls, circumferentially spaced apart, oriented between the inner and outer races, and movable between an outboard locked position and an inboard unlocked position to connect and disconnect the wheel hub from the axle half shaft. The system further includes a plurality of pins attached to an actuator ring. The actuator ring is axially shift-able between a locked and unlocked position. The system also includes one or more permanent magnets forming a permanent magnet ring attached to the actuator ring, with axially spaced apart north and south poles, and an annular tri-pole electromagnet having two counter-wound axially spaced apart coils concentric with the annular permanent magnet.

Electromagnetic actuator for wheel-end disconnect

A transmission is provided. The transmission may include a planetary gearset. The transmission may also include a thrust hub that may be fixed to the planetary gearset and engaged with a thrust bearing. A clutch hub may be connected with and spaced away from the thrust hub such that the thrust and clutch hubs are not in contact with each other to reduce vibration transfer between the thrust and clutch hubs.

Brake clutch connection

An electro-magnetically actuated pawl clutch is adapted to establish a fixed overdrive ratio in a powersplit type hybrid gearing arrangement. The electro-magnetically actuated clutch includes a first race splined to the transmission input shaft and a second race integrally formed into a first gear that is supported for rotation about the input shaft. Electrical current in a non-rotating coil establishes a magnetic field in the first race. The magnetic field causes a set of pawls to pivot with respect to the first race and to engage a cam surface in the second race. The pawls and cams are designed such that, when engaged, the second race can rotate faster than the inner race but cannot rotate slower. The first gear meshes with a second gear fixed to the transmission output shaft.

Hybrid transmission having electro-magnetically actuated pawl clutch

A clutch includes a first race, a second race, a pawl, a post, and a shoe. The second race defines a cam surface. The pawl is supported in the first race to pivot between an engaged position and a disengaged position such that contact between the cam surface and the pawl in the engaged position prevents relative rotation between the first and second races in at least one direction. The post is supported in the first race to slide between a first and a second position such that in the first position the post forces the pawl into the disengaged position. The shoe is configured to pivot with respect to the first race in response to a magnetic field to slide the post into the second position.

Electro-magnetic and centrifugal clutch

A pinion carrier includes a first disc including ring segments, each ring segment extending angularly about an axis and spaced angularly from the other ring segments, a second disc, spacers secured to the discs and separating the discs axially, and retention elements, each retention element secured to one of the ring segments.

Integrated pinion carrier and overrunning element race

A one-way coupling includes a cam plate including cams, a pocket plate including pockets, struts, each strut located in one of the pockets, and an electromagnet for engaging one of the struts with one of the cams, including a coil, a core and poles that extend from the coil to said strut, a gap between the poles and the pocket plate exceeding a gap between the poles and said strut.

Electromagnetic one-way coupling

A stator assembly for a torque converter includes a member fixed against rotation and including engagement surfaces spaced mutually about an axis, a stator formed with pockets spaced about the axis, rockers, each rocker located in a pocket, able to pivot toward and away from engagement with the engagement surfaces, and springs, each spring urging a rocker toward engagement with the engagement surfaces.

One-way brake for a torque converter stator

A device for transmitting torque in one rotary direction includes a cam plate including notches spaced angularly about an axis, a rocker plate including pockets mutually spaced angularly about the axis, rockers, each rocker being located in a respective pocket for movement toward and away from engagement with a notch on the cam plate, a spring recesses, each spring recess including a retainer, and springs, each spring located in a spring recess and engaged with a retainer, for urging a rocker toward the cam plate and engagement with a notch.

Retention of an actuating spring in a one-way clutch or brake

A dual mode one-way torque transmitting device includes an inner race having a first plurality of notches spaced about an axis. An intermediate race includes a second plurality of notches spaced about the axis, a first plurality of pockets spaced about the axis, and a first plurality of rockers, each rocker being located in a pocket of the intermediate race. A spring urges each rocker toward engagement with a notch on the inner race. An outer race includes a second plurality of pockets spaced about the axis, a second plurality of rockers, each rocker being located in a pocket on the outer race, and a plurality of actuators, each actuator alternately engages and disengages a rocker on the outer race and a notch on the intermediate race.

Dual-mode one-way torque transmitting device

An overrunning clutch includes a cam plate formed with cams angularly spaced about a central axis, and a rocker plate that includes pockets angularly spaced about the central axis. Each pocket includes a first concave surface having a center located within the pocket and through which a pivot axis passes. Each pocket contains a rocker that includes a first convex surface complementary to, and at least partially surrounded by the first concave surface. Springs, supported on the rocker plate, each urge a rocker to pivot about the pivot axis toward the cam plate.

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Dennis Neil Wys