Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Warn Industries, Inc.

Raymond S Alvey

Patrick William Gibson

Ronald Patrick Brombach

Jon A Bigley

Thomas W Giacomini

Karl W Wojcik

Todd A Snover

Dale O Stollsteimer

Christopher J Grieco

James C Kilgore

Dale Otto Stollsteimer

Jeffrey J Stroven

A transfer case motor controls the rotation of a cam. The cam actuates various gear states of a transfer case of a four-wheel-drive vehicle. A contact plate rotates with the cam and encodes the position of the cam as a four-bit binary code. The code is such that when the cam travels between any two gear states, one bit of the four-bit code stays constant from the initial gear state until the final gear state is reached. The single bit can thus be observed to determine that the final gear state has been reached. The encoding scheme is also such that the bit which stays constant always assumes the same state.

Apparatus and method for position encoding

An interior lamp control using a microprocessor to monitor the ignition switch, door ajar switches, and vehicle speed deactivates the interior lamp if vehicle speed exceeds a speed threshold even though the state of the input switches otherwise indicates that the interior lamp should be illuminated. The lamp will not again illuminate until after the speed decreases below a lower speed threshold.

Speed dependent vehicle courtesy lamp control for an automobile

An automatic four-wheel-drive vehicle having a multiple-ratio transmission with a torque output shaft connected drivably to a rear driving axle and a transfer gear box having a front drive shaft connected drivably to a front axle, the transfer case providing a four-wheel low-drive mode, a neutral mode and a two-wheel-drive/automatic four-wheel drive mode, an electric motor adapted to shift the transfer case from one mode to another mode and an electronic controller responsive to predetermined driving conditions for effecting an automatic shift of the transfer case from either a forward drive mode or a reverse drive mode to the neutral drive mode whereby the vehicle is conditioned for towing by interrupting the torque flow path from the rear drive wheels of the vehicle to the transmission mechanism and transfer case.

Electronic neutral tow engagement for an automatic four-wheel-drive

A system and method for controlling a wiper for a vehicle window on a lift gate. The control system and method include an ignition switch (12), lift gate position switch (14), window position switch (16), washer switch (18) and wiper switch (20) for generating (42) multiple input signals. The control system and method also include a microprocessor (24) for processing (44) the input signals to determine wiper operations, and an output driver (26) for generating (46) an output signal to control the wiper in response to the wiper operations determined.

System and method for controlling vehicle lift gate window wiper

A pulse actuated clutch and control arrangement for coupling and decoupling a drive line of a vehicle relative to a wheel such as when shifting between two-wheel and four-wheel drive modes. The pulse actuated clutch has a coupling member that is permanently engaged with one of a driven member and a driving member. The coupling member is movable in a first direction to engage one of the driven and driving members and is movable in a second direction to engage both the driven and driving members. The coupling member is moved in the second direction by a first pulse of air pressure applied thereto. Formations of the piston assembly and the driven member cooperatively latch the piston in the second position to maintain the coupling member in engagement with both the driven and driving members following first pulse of air pressure. A second, greater magnitude pulse of air pressure moves the primary piston further to unlatch the piston and uncouple the driven member from the driving member. The illustrated control arrangement incorporated into a general purpose control module for a vehicle to accomplish pulse actuated control over the clutch mechanism in coordination with other vehicle control activities. The control arrangement makes use of timers and references vehicle conditions to ensure mechanical transition of the pulse actuated clutch mechanism fully into a desired state.

Pulse actuated hub locks and control arrangement

Growing community of inventors

Utica, MI, United States of America

Raymond S Alvey