Chrysler Corporation

Fca US LLC

Daimlerchrysler Corporation

Chrysler Group LLC

Kenneth J Potter

Steven R Fliearman

Sandeep Makam

Mark R Foeller

Dennis R Zeiger

Daniel S Denton

Timothy R Schumaier

Dean A Celini

Dennis Zeiger

A thermal management unit for a vehicle powertrain component. The thermal management unit is designed to maintain the operating temperature of the vehicle component within a relatively small, ideal temperature range. The thermal management unit includes a three-way valve and temperature sensor that uses the temperature of a lubricant used by the component itself to configure the valve such that lubricant having the desired temperature is passed to the component.

System and method to control automotive powertrain component temperature

An axle assembly for a vehicle includes an axle housing assembly having a carrier housing and a differential assembly mounted in the carrier housing for rotation about a rotational axis. In an exemplary implementation, the differential assembly includes a unitary differential case, a differential gear set and a shroud member. The differential case defines an interior cavity and a window having an outer perimeter, where the window is configured to provide access to the interior cavity for assembling the gear set into the interior cavity. The shroud member is configured to be removably coupled to the differential case to cover the window and provide a radiused contour aligning with a radiused contour of the differential case thereby reducing spin losses when the differential assembly is rotating relative to the axle housing assembly.

Differential assembly shroud member for spin loss reduction

A vehicle traction control system that is based on the management of the torque that is produced by the vehicle power train. The actual angular acceleration of a portion of the vehicle drive line is compared to the maximum predicted angular acceleration of the portion of the vehicle drive line to determine the occurrence of a wheel slipping condition. In response to the detection of a wheel slipping condition, the amount of excess drive torque that is being produced by the power train is quantified and the drive torque that is produced by the power train is reduced by an amount which corresponds to the excess. When the slipping condition has been abated, the reduction in the magnitude of the drive torque that is produced by the power train is reduced and eventually eliminated.

Torque management based traction control system

An shift control strategy for controlling an automatic transmission based on acceleration. The shift control strategy determines a learned vehicle inertia as well as road load torque and expected torque in an upshift gear. A projected post shift acceleration is predicted based on the expected torque, road load torque and inertia of the vehicle. If vehicle speed and throttle position are within an allowable shift zone and if the predicted post shift acceleration exceeds a threshold value, the vehicle automatic transmission is allowed to upshift. The predicted post upshift acceleration value is determined as a function of a selected one of the possible downshifts and is compared to a threshold value. A downshift of the automatic transmission to the selected downshift is allowed if the post downshift acceleration value is less than the threshold value.

Acceleration based shift strategy for an automatic transmission

An anti-hunt transmission control strategy for controlling an automatic transmission so as to prevent the occurrence of a shift hunting condition. The control strategy determines a learned vehicle inertia as well as road load torque and expected torque in an upshift gear. A projected post shift acceleration is predicted based on the expected torque, road load torque and inertia of the vehicle. If vehicle speed and throttle position are within an allowable shift zone and if the predicted post shift acceleration exceeds a threshold value, the vehicle automatic transmission is allowed to upshift. Otherwise, should the predicted post shift acceleration not exceed the threshold value, an upshift is prevented.

Growing community of inventors

Almont, MI, United States of America

Kenneth J Potter