Schaeffler Technologies Ag & Co .Kg

Breed Automotive Technology, Inc.

Key Safety Systems, Inc.

Simon Xunnan He

Debora Manther

Jefferson E Howell

Kenneth Herbert Kohlndorfer

Lawrence M Refior

Harjeet Gill

Carl M Petersen, Iii

Peter C Kempf

Susan A Richards

Derek Perkins

Thomas A Ennis

Tony Jain

Rosemary Longley

Tammy Korona

Caryn Foley

Craig Good

A camshaft phaser, including: a rotatable stator; a rotatable rotor arranged to be non-rotatably connected to a camshaft; first and second wedge plates radially disposed between the rotor and the stator; and a displacement assembly arranged to, for an advance mode, displace the first wedge plate in a first circumferential direction to enable rotation of the rotor, with respect to the stator, in the first circumferential direction, and for a retard mode, displace the second wedge plate in a second circumferential direction, opposite the first circumferential direction, to enable rotation of the rotor, with respect to the stator, in the second circumferential direction.

Multi-position camshaft phaser with two one-way wedge clutches

A wedge friction clutch with onboard enable and disable function, including: an axis of rotation; an inner race; an outer race located radially outward of the inner race; and a wedge assembly including at least one wedge plate located between the inner and outer races in a radial direction; at least one resilient element; and at least one piston. For a locked mode in which the inner and outer races are non-rotatably connected, the at least one resilient element is arranged to displace the at least one wedge plate in at least one first circumferential direction. For a free wheel mode in which the inner and outer races are independently rotatable with respect to each other, the at least one piston is arranged to displace the at least one wedge plate in at least one second circumferential direction.

Wedge friction clutch with onboard enable and disable function

A camshaft phaser, including: a stator; a rotor including a first channel and a second channel and connectable to a camshaft a first wedge plate and a second wedge plate; and a displacement assembly including a first pin in the first channel and a second pin in the second channel. For an advance mode: fluid displaces the first pin to displace the first wedge plate to enable rotation of the rotor, with respect to the stator, in a first direction; and the second wedge plate blocks rotation of the rotor, with respect to the stator, in a second direction. For a retard mode: fluid displaces the second pin to displace the second wedge plate to enable rotation of the rotor, with respect to the stator, in a second direction; and the first wedge plate blocks rotation of the rotor, with respect to the stator, in the first direction.

A wedge friction clutch with onboard enable and disable function, including: an axis of rotation; an inner race; an outer race; a wedge plate located between the inner and outer races in a radial direction; a first resilient element; and a piston. For a locked mode, the first resilient element is arranged to displace the wedge plate in a first circumferential direction to non-rotatably connect the inner and outer races. For a free wheel mode the piston is arranged to displace in a first radial direction to displace the wedge plate in a second circumferential direction, opposite the first circumferential direction such that the inner and outer races are independently rotatable with respect to each other.

A wedge friction clutch with controllable clutch locking function, having an axis of rotation, an inner race, an outer race located radially outward of the inner race, and, a wedge assembly including a wedge plate located between the inner and outer races in a radial direction, a first piston arranged to displace the wedge plate in a first circumferential direction, a second piston arranged to displace the wedge plate in a second circumferential direction, opposite the first circumferential direction, and, a hydraulic circuit arranged to control the first and second pistons.

Wedge friction one-way clutch with controllable clutch locking function

A chain or belt drive assembly, including: a first sprocket with: a first plurality of radially outwardly extending protrusions; and at least one opening passing through material forming the sprocket and wholly surrounded by the material forming the first sprocket; and a second sprocket including a second plurality of radially outwardly extending protrusions, The assembly includes a continuous chain or belt engaged with the first and second pluralities of protrusions; and at least one pendulum mass assembly including: a first pendulum mass disposed on a first radial side of the first sprocket; second pendulum mass disposed on a second radial side, opposite the first radial side, of the first sprocket; and at least one connection element fixedly secured to the first and second pendulum masses and passing through the at least one opening. The connection element is displaceable within the at least one opening in radial and circumferential directions.

Damper assembly for chain or belt drive

A two piece rolling element cage for a bearing assembly comprising a first and second cage, with axial projections extending from a cage body, oriented toward each other and inserted between rolling elements, on opposite axial ends of the rolling elements.

Two piece cage for a needle bearing

A mechanical tensioner for a traction drive element is provided. It includes a housing with a bore having an open end and a closed bottom. A plunger having a first end is located in the bore. The first end of the plunger has a tapered slot or tapered opening defined therein forming a hollow wall portion of the plunger. The hollow wall portion is discontinuous in a circumferential direction. A wedge insert is located at least partially in the slot or opening. The wedge insert has an outer surface with a contact area that is complementary to the tapered slot or tapered opening. A spring is located between the wedge insert and closed bottom of the housing. The spring forces the wedge insert into the tapered slot or tapered opening with an increase in force as the plunger is depressed into the bore in the housing. This forces the hollow wall portion outwardly in order to provide a friction damping feature that increases with the distance that the plunger is depressed.

Mechanical tensioner with damping feature

A traction mechanism drive (), such as a control drive of an internal combustion engine, having an endless traction mechanism, such as a link chain, connecting a drive gear () and at least one driven gear () in a form-fitting manner, at least one clamping device () actuated by a pressure medium and a guiding rail () being arranged on the periphery of the traction mechanism. At least the guiding rail () includes a carrier body () and a resiliently flexible sliding body () connected to the carrier body () on the traction mechanism side. A spring element () is arranged in a free space () between the upper side () of the carrier body () and a lower side () of the sliding body (). In order to improve the damping of the traction mechanism, the spring element () includes at least one flexible spring () connected integrally to the carrier body () and the sliding body ().

Traction mechanism drive

A vehicle body assembly has an outer skin panel defining an exterior surface for a vehicle. An inner skin panel is spaced from the outer skin panel. One or more energy absorbing bodies are located between the inner skin panel and the outer skin panel such that the one or more energy absorbing bodies will be aligned with one or more hard points of the vehicle. The energy absorbing body may be a foam block or a hollow body such as a fluid reservoir.

Vehicle structure for pedestrian protection

The inertia sensor is a sensor for a seatbelt retractor used for sensing deceleration. The inertia sensor is composed of a primary mass, a secondary mass, and a lifter. The primary mass provides the inertia for the self compensating function. The secondary mass provides the inertia for sensing deceleration. The inertia sensor is not triggered when subjected to tilting angles of 30 degrees or less in any direction. Upon experiencing decelerating motion, the secondary mass tilts relative to the primary mass whereby this relative angular displacement causes the lifter to raise. The lifter rotates a locking pawl into an engagement position, which initiates the locking mechanism of the seatbelt retractor.

Self compensating inertia sensor

An air bag ( ) having: an inflatable cushion portion ( ) and a neck portion ( ) in communication therewith, the neck portion defines a receiving opening to receive inflation gas, received from an inflator, to inflate the cushion portion ( ). The air bag is made from flexible material and a retainer member(s) ( ) and is preferably sewn to at least a part of the neck portion to reinforce the neck portion and to reduce the flexibility of the neck portion. The invention further includes an air bag module that utilizes the above air bag. The module includes a housing and an inflator. The housing has grooves ( ) for receiving a first edge of a retainer member and further includes a holding member ( ) formed as part of a wall of the housing ( ) and which is bent or crimped over to hold a second edge of the retainer member.

Air bag and module

An energy absorbing seat belt retractor (,) comprising: a frame (,); a torsion bar (,&prime;) having a first and a second side, rotationally supported relative to the frame. The torsion bar of the type which is pre-torqued to create a permanent deformation therein or having an annular cross section to reduce a transition zone between the torsion bar's elastic and plastic deformation regions. The retractor also includes a locking device (,) adapted to be activated during a vehicle accident and operative on the first side (,) of the torsion bar to stop the torsion bar from rotating. A spool is operatively connected to the second side of the torsion bar, the spool having a seat belt positioned thereon, wherein with the locking device activated to prevent the first side of the torsion bar from rotating and with a predetermined load communicated to the seat belt, the spool and the torsion bar rotate in a direction of belt protraction opposed by a reaction force generated by the pre-torqued torsion bar as it twists.

Energy absorbing torsion bar seat belt retractor with sharp onset property

A seat belt buckle (,) operable with a pretensioner (,) comprising: a frame (,) having a first latch opening (,) therein, and opposing frame sides (,), each side including a latch plate slot (,) arranged generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of a tongue into the buckle and pivoted weight mechanism (,). The buckle additionally includes a latch plate (,), having portions (,) movable within the latch plate slots between a locked position in engagement with an opening within the tongue and with the first latch opening (,), the latch plate moveable between a latched position within the latch opening (,) in the frame and within the latch opening (,) of the tongue to an unlatched position out of the latch openings. The weight (,) as it pivots generates a force upon the latch plate during operation of the pretensioner tending to keep the latch plate in the first opening and a button (,) operatively received upon the frame having ramp means (,) for lifting the latch plate to its unlatched position.

Buckle for use with a pretensioner

An energy absorbing seat belt retractor (20) comprising: a frame (22); a torsion bar (70,70') having a first and a second side, rotationally supported relative to the frame. The torsion bar of the type which is pre-torqued to create a permanent deformation therein or having an annular cross section to reduce a transition zone between the torsion bar's elastic and plastic deformation regions. The retractor also includes a locking device (200) adapted to be activated during a vehicle accident and operative on the first side (76) of the torsion bar to stop the torsion bar from rotating. A spool is operatively connected to the second side of the torsion bar, the spool having a seat belt positioned thereon, wherein with the locking device activated to prevent the first side of the torsion bar from rotating and with a predetermined load communicated to the seat belt, the spool and the torsion bar rotate in a direction of belt protraction opposed by a reaction force generated by the pre-torqued torsion bar as it twists.

Growing community of inventors

Troy, MI, United States of America

Simon Xunnan He