Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

John O'Rear

Peter James Barrette

Joseph Jay Torres

Vijay Garg

Abbas Raftari

John Antoni Glab

Patrick Meloche

Joanne Theresa Woestman

Dana Joseph Katinas

Joe Jay Torres

Brian Hildreth

Curtis Lee Tyson

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 powertrain control for an automotive vehicle is disclosed. It includes a torque transfer case that distributes power from an engine-powered transfer case mainshaft to a secondary driving axle through a friction clutch as power is distributed directly from the engine-powered mainshaft to a primary driving axle. The friction clutch capacity is sufficient to mechanically lock the transfer case in a four wheel drive mode. If the clutch torque capacity is exceeded, a control algorithm will strategically ramp down engine torque requests by a powertrain controller to eliminate clutch slip.

Engine torque truncation method for a four-wheel drive vehicle

This invention is a method and system to disconnect drive wheels from the powertrain of any electric powered vehicle. A vehicle controller monitors input from, for example, an inertia switch and electric motor generator conditions and can disconnect the output shaft from the drive wheels in predetermined vehicle conditions such as during a rear-end collision, or abnormal electric motor conditions such as over-torque, over-temperature, or over-current. The invention can be configured to monitor and respond to driver demand for four-wheel drive, two-wheel drive, and neutral tow. The disconnect device can comprise a disconnect actuator and joint attached to an axle disconnect. The axle disconnect can be electric or vacuum powered and positioned as a center disconnect or a wheel-end disconnect. The invention can be configured for conventional or limited slip axles.

Wheel-end and center axle disconnects for an electric or HEV

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Whitmore Lake, MI, United States of America

John O'Rear