Borg-warner Automotive Gmbh

Borgwarner Inc.

Robert W Atkinson

Alan L Miller

Mark J Fogelberg

Jack M Fisher

Paul G Rorick

Diane K Nemeth

An on demand vehicle drive system monitors vehicle performance and operating conditions and controls torque delivery to the vehicle wheels. The system includes a plurality of speed and position sensors, a transfer case having primary and secondary output shafts driving primary and secondary axles and a microcontroller. The sensors include a vehicle speed sensor, a pair of primary and secondary drive shaft speed sensors, and brake and driveline status sensors. The transfer case includes a modulating electromagnetic clutch controlled by the microcontroller which is incrementally engaged to transfer torque from the primary output shaft to the secondary output shaft. When the speed of either the front or the rear drive shafts overruns, i.e., exceeds, the speed of the other drive shaft by a predetermined value related to the vehicle speed, indicating that wheel slip is present, clutch current is incrementally increased to increase clutch engagement and torque transfer to the secondary axle. When wheel slip is reduced below the predetermined value the current to the clutch is incrementally reduced. The method of operating such a system is also described.

Motor vehicle transfer case

Motor vehicle drive line clutch

A transaxle includes a multi-stage final drive assembly with the final drive assembly with a plurality of serial stages. The transaxle has an input, a plurality of gear sets selectively engageable for directing power from the input to the first stage of the final drive assembly, and another gear set engageable for directing power from the input to another stage of the final drive assembly thereby by-passing the first stage thereof.

Transaxle with multi-stage final drive assembly

An overdrive transmission including a rotatable input shaft, a rotatable output shaft, a one-way clutch engageable for establishing a one-to-one drive path from said input shaft to said output shaft, a planetary gear set engaging said input and output shafts, and a clutching assembly including a synchronizing clutch, a positive clutch, and an overdrive brake, said synchronizing clutch being engageable for establishing a one-to-one ratio through said planetary gear set, said positive clutch being engageable for establishing a one-to-one ratio through said planetary gear set, and said brake being engageable for establishing an overdrive ratio through planetary gear set.

Planetary gear drive with clutching assembly

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Muncie, IN, United States of America

Robert W Atkinson