Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Sean M McGowan

Mark R Claywell

Bryan K Pryor

Andy Bennett, Sr

John Byron Davis

Chung Y Wei

Karl R Gilgenbach

Jeremy T Demarest

Joel H Pike

Joseph J Noonchester

Vehicles, oil intake systems for vehicles, and methods for manufacturing oil intake systems for vehicles are provided. A method for manufacturing an oil intake system for a vehicle includes providing an oil reservoir having an internal volume with an internal shape including an oil reservoir bottom; determining a selected amount of oil received in the oil reservoir; selecting a maximum positive pitch angle of a first plane of an upper surface of the selected amount of oil in the oil reservoir; selecting a minimum negative pitch angle of a second plane of the upper surface of the selected amount of oil in the oil reservoir; determining a bottom plane at a selected positive distance above the oil reservoir bottom; determining a shape and a size of an oil pick-up tube and of an opening in the oil pick-up tube to locate the opening below the first plane at the maximum positive pitch angle and below the second plane at the minimum negative pitch angle, wherein the opening is defined by a peripheral edge of the oil pick-up tube, wherein the peripheral edge lies substantially within an opening plane, wherein the opening plane has a positive pitch angle of at least half of the maximum positive pitch angle; and fabricating the oil pick-up tube with the shape, the size, and the opening.

Hydraulic fluid pick-up tube

A pump includes a first gear plate and a first pair of counter rotating gears positioned on a first side of the gear plate. The pair of counter rotating gears draws fluid from an inlet and transfers the fluid into an outlet of a common manifold. The gear plate has a cutout to increase the flow of fluid into the common manifold.

Scavenge gear plate for improved flow

A gear assembly of a scavenge oil pump for a vehicle is provided. The assembly comprises a first pair of meshing gears comprising a first drive gear disposed about a drive shaft and a first slave gear disposed about a slave drive in parallel relationship with the drive shaft. The first drive gear and first slave gear are in rotational meshing cooperation. The assembly comprises a second pair of meshing gears comprising a second drive gear disposed about the drive shaft and a second slave gear disposed about the slave drive. The second drive gear and second slave gear are in rotational meshing cooperation. The second pair of meshing gears is disposed linearly adjacent to the first pair of meshing gears. The first pair and the second pair of meshing gears have about &#x215c; of a tooth spacing relative to each other for torque transmission of scavenge oil.

Scavenge gear assembly for an oil pump of a vehicle

An automobile vehicle variable displacement pump includes a pump body having a pump shaft extending through the pump body. A rotor is connected to the pump shaft and co-rotates with the pump shaft. The rotor has multiple radially outwardly directed slots. A vane support ring supports multiple vanes, the vanes individually slidably received in one of the slots of the rotor. A slide is rotatably connected to the pump body having the rotor and the vane support ring positioned within an inner wall of the slide. A bow spring plate defining a biasing member directly contacts the slide to bias the slide to rotate about an arc of curvature.

Variable displacement oil pump slide with bow spring

A gear pump that is used to pump fluid, such as oil, in a vehicle. The gear pump comprises a gear assembly having a drive shaft including a drive shaft key; a set of drive gears mounted on the drive shaft, with a drive gear of the set of drive gears being keyed with the drive shaft key; a driven shaft including a driven shaft key; a set of driven gears mounted on the driven shaft, with a driven gear of the driven gear set being keyed with the driven shaft key; and a torque drive feature associated with the drive shaft or the driven shaft, wherein the torque drive feature is configured to check keying with the driven shaft key.

Gear pump and gear assembly

A gear pump can be equipped in an engine oil system. The gear pump has a housing, a first gear, and a second gear. The housing has an outlet passage for exiting oil, and has one or more outlet openings for exiting air. The first gear has a set of first teeth with multiple first roots and first tips. The second gear has a set of second teeth with multiple second roots and second tips. The outlet opening(s) is situated in the housing so that it can communicate with a first clearance, with a second clearance, or with both the first and second clearances. The first clearance is established at the confrontation of one of the first roots and one of the second tips. And the second clearance is established at the confrontation of one of the second roots and one of the first tips.

Gear pump that removes air from pumped oil

The oil pan assembly includes an oil pan and a slideable cover. The oil pan includes a base and a sidewall which surrounds the base wherein the base and the sidewall are configured to retain a pool of oil. The oil pan further includes a peripheral flange operatively configured to be coupled to an engine block. The slideable cover is affixed to the oil pan and is configured to maintain the pool of oil proximate to the base of the oil pan.

Oil pan assembly

A gerotor assembly is provided which includes a crankshaft, an inner drive gear, an outer driven gear and a housing defining an oil groove. The inner drive gear defines a plurality of inner gear teeth. The outer driven gear defines a plurality of outer gear teeth operatively configured to engage with the inner gear teeth. The outer drive gear may define a plurality of passageways to form a hydrodynamic film between the outer driven gear and the housing. Alternatively, a high pressure oil pump may feed oil into the oil groove in order to distribute a hydrodynamic film.

Gerotor assembly having an oil groove

A fluid pump includes a housing defining a cavity. An end plate is disposed within the cavity and divides the cavity into a gear section and an end section. A gear set is disposed within the gear section and comprises at least one gear rotatable about an axis. The end plate is movable longitudinally along the axis for compressing the gear set. A channel is in fluidic communication with the end section for supplying a fluid to the end section to force the plate toward the gear set.

Lubricating fluid system for a vehicle with self compensation plate

A fluid level detection device for a chamber containing a fluid includes a sensor configured to indicate one of at least two states; a first state when a present fluid level in the chamber is above a threshold level with respect to a chamber floor, and a second state when the present fluid level in the chamber is below the threshold level. A stabilizer is configured to at least partially surround the sensor. The stabilizer includes a base portion and a plurality of sidewalls defining a storage well configured to store a portion of the fluid around the sensor. The stabilizer is configured to prevent the sensor from indicating the second state when a present fluid volume in the chamber is above a predetermined minimum amount. The stabilizer is configured to prevent the sensor from indicating a false 'low fluid' state during a non-stable event.

Fluid level detection device with stabilizer

An apparatus includes a fitting having an inner surface defining a passageway, an outer surface, and at least one aperture extending from the outer surface to the inner surface. A plug extends into the passageway and has a plug surface defining at least one hole. A retaining member extends through the aperture and into the hole to retain the plug with respect to the fitting. A locking member is operatively connected to the fitting and the plug, and is positioned such that the locking member restricts movement of the retaining member out of said at least one hole.

Plug lock

A valve assembly for a fluid system is provided. The valve assembly includes a damping component to reduce undesired pressure fluctuations within the system. The valve assembly includes a valve guide member and a valve member at least partially situated around the valve guide member. The valve member may be slidable relative to the valve guide member. The valve member is configured to move between a first valve member position that substantially permits fluid flow from the fluid system through the valve assembly, and a second valve member position that substantially prevents fluid flow from the fluid system through the valve assembly. A metering hole is formed on the valve member and adapted to dampen the motion of the valve member from the first valve member position to the second valve member position.

Growing community of inventors

Northville, MI, United States of America

Sean M McGowan