Ntn Corporation

Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Automotive Components Holdings, LLC

Ntn Technical Center (u.s.a.), Inc.

Mclaren Performance Technologies Inc.

Ntn Technical Center

Jonathan Mark Adler

Russell E Monahan

Dennis Cook

Randall K King

Robert W Frayer, Jr

Scott A Wojan

Thomas W Houtman

George E Leposky

Kevin J Fontenot

Gerald Stephen Szczepanski

Gary Monkaba

Nicholas James Gianaris

Peter R Forman

Patrick J Rodriguez

Marj Phelan, Legal Representative

Derrick R Black

Lynn R Veeser

John Jennings

Noboru Kashino

Durgaprasad Marla

Frank Victor Crocco

A gearbox assembly includes a pinion gear having a gear stem extending axially through a tubular output stem of an output member with a threaded portion protruding from an output flange of the output member. A pinion nut includes a threaded inner bore threadably engaging the threaded portion of the gear stem to retain the output member to the pinion gear. An outer rim of the pinion nut defines an outer circumference having a tool recess and a deformation spaced circumferentially apart from the tool recess. The tool recess is adapted for receiving a tool to rotate the pinion nut in a first direction relative to the gear stem. The deformation engages an inner circumference of the output flange to prevent the pinion nut from rotating in a second direction relative to the gear stem.

Staked nut and flange for gear support

A gearbox transmits rotational movement from a driving member to a driven member. The gearbox includes a pinion gear disposed inside a housing. The gear defines an axial bore and rotates in response to rotation of the driving member. An output member extends through the axial bore and engages therewith such that the output member rotates in response to rotation of the gear. The output member extends to a position outside the housing to rotate the driven member. A clamping nut is threadably coupled to the output member and abuts the gear thereby retaining the output member and the gear together. A bearing is disposed radially between the gear and the housing. The bearing rotatably supports the gear and the output member.

Axially compact support for a gear within a gearbox

A motor vehicle power transfer unit for distributing torque from a transmission assembly between a front wheel drive line and a rear wheel drive line, the power transfer unit includes a housing, non-parallel gear set located in the housing and including a ring gear, and a parallel gear set including an idler, and an idler shaft secured to and supported on the housing. The idler shaft, which extends through the idler gear and supports the idler gear for rotation, includes an interior chamber, an outer surface, and a wall. A portion of the outer surface is formed with a clearance space, into which space a portion of the ring gear extends and rotates. The clearance space communicates through the wall to the chamber, the wall being formed with a hydraulic passage, which carries lubricant from the chamber to the outer surface.

Power transfer unit

A motor vehicle power transfer unit includes an input portion, an output portion, a non-parallel gear set and a parallel gear set. The input portion is adapted to connect to an output portion of a transmission assembly and the output portion is adapted to connect to an input portion of a rear wheel drive line. The parallel gear set is coupled to the input portion and transfers power to the non-parallel gear set, which is coupled to the output portion. The non-parallel gear set includes a ring gear having a front face with gear teeth formed therein and a rear face having a cavity formed therein. The ring gear is supported within the power transfer unit by a bearing mounted within the cavity.

Compact power transfer unit

A motor vehicle power transfer unit for distributing torque from a transmission assembly between a front wheel drive line and rear wheel drive line. The power transfer unit includes a housing that encloses a parallel gear set and a non-parallel gear set, which are coupled between an input portion and an output portion of the power transfer unit. The parallel gear set includes a driving gear, and idler gear and a driven gear and the idler gear is rotatably supported on a non-rotating support member that extends through the idler gear. Constructed in this manner, reduced lateral compactness of the power transfer unit is achieved.

A power transfer unit includes a non-parallel gear set and a parallel gear set integrally packaged within a housing. The housing includes an extension portion that connects the power transfer unit to a transmission assembly. The extension portion is formed having a structural web with one or more cavities. These cavities include inner cavities that define a portion of the interior volume of the housing and may also include outer cavities that open to the outer side of the housing. The web between cavities provides structural rigidity for the power transfer unit, while the cavities minimize the weight of the power transfer unit.

The present invention is generally directed towards a carrier of a motor vehicle. The carrier is formed of a first portion and the second portion. The first portion is made of aluminum having ceramic particles reinforcing the aluminum matrix. The second portion is made of unreinforced aluminum metal or metal alloy. Preferably the second portion is present in form of discrete pockets in the first portion and is adapted to be machined or welded.

Reinforced aluminum metal composite carrier

A fluid pump cowling for attachment to at least a pair of helical drivetrain gears having teeth and lands. The cowling has a pair of sidewalls adapted to extend at least partially over the lands of a first of the pair of drivetrain gears and a curved sump wall extending between the sidewalls that corresponds generally to the outermost circumference of the first gear. A sump channel is defined between the sidewalls on the sump wall adjacent a distal end of the sump wall. The sump channel has a generally frustoconical shape and leads to a fluid outlet opening defined in one of the sidewalls. The cowling is positioned such that the teeth of the pair of helical gears mesh in an area in fluid communication with the sump channel to create an area of high fluid pressure upon rotational movement of the gears with a fluid.

Fluid pump mechanism for use in existing helical gearsets

An over-running cluch pulley in which a pulley sheave and hub cooperate to define a composite inner cylindrical surface and in which a mechanism adds compliance to the system in order to lessen the abruptness of lock-on in the system.

Complaint one way over-running clutch pulley

An over-running clutch pulley in which an input hub and output hub are compliantly coupled to soften the transition between the unlocked and locked state of the over-running clutch pulley.

Compression spring complaint one-way over-running clutch pulley

A two speed pulley assembly comprised of a sheave, a brake member, an output member, and a brake. The sheave receives a rotational input and also includes a series of carrier arms which cooperate to define a circle which is coaxially with the sheave. Rollers are rotatably supported on said carrier arms. A braking member is rotatably supported relative to said sheave and includes portions defining a first raceway in contact with the rollers. An output sleeve is also rotationally supported relative to the sheave. The output sleeve includes portions defining a second raceway in contact with the rollers. The brake inhibits rotation of the braking member when engaged while permitting rotation thereof when disengaged. Mounted between the sheave and the output sleeve is a one-way clutch bearing. The clutch bearing engages when rotation of the sheave attempts to or begins to overrun rotation of the sleeve. During use, the sheave drives the output sleeve through the rollers at a rotational rate greater than that of the sheave when the brake is engaged. When the brake is disengaged, the sheave drives the output sleeve through the one-way clutch bearing at a one-to-one ratio. In this way the present invention provides two different driving speeds from a single belt pulley assembly thereby increasing the electrical output of an alternator at low engine speeds. Alternatively, the input and output member may be reversed to provide a speed reduction mechanism.

Two speed traction drive pulley system

A clutch assembly having driving and driven members with concentric cylindrical surfaces and which are independently rotatable about a common axis. A plurality of recesses are formed in the cylindrical surface of the driving member. The recesses include ramp surfaces which extend to the cylindrical surface. Roller elements are positioned in each of the recesses and a retainer, which is also independently rotatable about the axis, circumferentially interconnects the roller elements together. The retainer causes the rollers to move substantially in unison with one another and a biasing member individually biases each roller element into its respective recesses. During relative acceleration of the driving member relative to the driven member, the roller elements move along and up the ramp surfaces to a position where they become wedged between the driving and driven members. When wedged, torque can be transferred through the clutch assembly.

Two-way over-running clutch assembly

An annular wheel speed sensor having an efficient magnetic configuration to provide a high level of electrical output even at relatively low wheel speeds. The sensor comprises a magnetic tone ring having both axial and radial magnetic fields and a stator configured to read both the axial and radial magnetic fields as the tone ring rotates. The sensor is configured to minimize the effects of variation in the axial air gap between the tone ring and stator to provide an accurate and reliable wheel speed signal. The wheel speed sensor incorporates many of the bearing components to provide a compact and efficient hub and bearing assembly. Moreover, the construction of the hub and bearing of the invention provides a sealed environment for the speed sensor, isolating it from environmental factors.

Annular speed sensor with a tone ring having both axial and radial

A variable speed drive device for mounting to a rotatable shaft and being driven by first and second belts. The device includes a first pulley of a first diameter and a second pulley of a second diameter, each engaging one of the belts. The first pulley mounts directly to the shaft via a mounting hub extending laterally therefrom. The second pulley is positioned radially outward of the hub and a bearing is located between the two. Also located between the two is a clutch mechanism that engages when the second pulley tries to rotates faster than the first pulley. In this manner, the first pulley drives the shaft at a first speed when the first pulley is rotating faster than the second pulley and the second pulley drives the shaft at a second speed when the second pulley is trying to rotate faster than the first pulley.

Two belt over-running clutch pulley

An improved fiber optic sensor system and integrated sensor bearing assembly for detecting movement or position of a rotating wheel bearing having a multi-pole tone ring which produces an alternating magnetic field indicative of movement and position of the rotating member. A magneto-optical material, such as a bismuth garnet iron (B.I.G.) crystal, having discrete magnetic domains is positioned in the vicinity of the tone ring so that the domains align themselves to the magnetic field generated by the tone ring. A single fiber optic cable, preferably single mode fiber, carries light generated by a source of light to the B.I.G. crystal. The light passes through the B.I.G. crystal and is refracted at domain boundaries in the crystal. The intensity of the refracted light is indicative of the amount of alignment of the domains and therefore the strength of the magnetic field. The refracted light is carried by the fiber optic cable to an optic receiver where the intensity is measured and an electrical signal is generated and sent to a controller indicating the frequency of the changes in light intensity and therefore the rotational speed of the rotating wheel bearing.

Growing community of inventors

Dexter, MI, United States of America

Jonathan Mark Adler