Ford Motor Company Limited

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Thomas T Tibbles

Pramod Kumar Jain

Timothy A Droste

Lee John Becker

Ulrich Eggert

Richard D Moan

Vladimir Yasnogorodskiy

Phillip Thomas Koneda

The automatic transmission for motor vehicles includes a positive displacement pump, a sump hydraulically connected by a passage to the pump inlet, a line pressure control valve having a high pressure outlet, a passage carrying fluid from the control valve through a nozzle and an nozzle exit opening to the passage that connects the sump to the pump inlet. The high pressure passage has a cross section whose area decreases in the direction toward the pump inlet and terminates in a nozzle through which a high speed jet enters the low pressure passage through the nozzle exit opening.

Jet pump for boosting pressure at an inlet supplied from a sump and second fluid source

A variable compression ratio control system for an internal combustion engine includes a lubrication system for selectively providing lubricating oil to connecting rods within the engine at either a lubrication pressure or at a control pressure. The oil is provided to compression ratio adjusters so as to cause the adjusters to move from one compression ratio to another, to achieve a desired change in compression ratio. A lubricating pump provides lubricating oil to the connecting rods through the lubrication system. The lubricating pump is selectively operable at one of a lubricating pressure and a control pressure by means of a control valve which is integral with the lubricating pump.

Variable compression ratio control system for internal combustion engine

A continually variable transmission includes a torque converter for producing a hydrokinetic connection between a power source and input shaft, a low gear drive mechanism, a belt drive mechanism arranged in parallel with the low gear mechanism between the input shaft and an intermediate shaft, a forward-reverse gearset, a forward clutch, a reverse brake for controlling operation of the gearset in the direction of its output, and a mode clutch for alternately selecting the torque path between the input shaft and intermediate shaft.

Dual mode continually variable transmission

A continuously variable belt and sheave drive mechanism for use with an internal combustion engine in an automotive vehicle driveline including a simplified valve system that responds to control commands from a microprocessor that receives input data from engine, turbine and output shaft speed sensors, an engine throttle position sensor and a sheave position sensor as well as other driveline variables so that the operating characteristics of the transmission are matched to the speed torque characteristics of the engine to produce improved driveline efficiency and performance while permitting the engine speed to be related functionally to the throttle position as well as vehicle speed and permitting engine speed to increase when rapid acceleration is desired while minimizing changes in engine speed for small throttle position variations.

Continuously variable transmission

A control system for a continuously variable sheave drive having a driving sheave assembly (124) and a driven sheave assembly (126) connected drivably by a torque transfer belt or chain (144), each sheave assembly being comprised of a pair of friction drive sheave portions (128/130 and 178/180) that are axially adjustable, one with respect to the other, to establish varying pitch radii, each sheave assembly having a fluid pressure operated servo with a pressure chamber (164/212) supplied with control pressure from a pressure source, distribution of control pressure to one servo assembly effecting a pitch radius adjustment thereby changing the overall drive ratio, control pressure distribution to the other sheave assembly resulting in a clamping force, and valve means for limiting the rate of delivery of pressurized fluid to the ratio controlling sheave assembly (124) so that control pressure will not fall below a desired value.

Flow control valve for a continuously variable transmission control

A control system for a friction bypass clutch for a torque converter that forms a part of an infinitely variable transmission in a vehicle driveline having an internal combustion engine including closed loop electronic controllers for coordinated control of the speed ratio of the transmission and the rate of engagement of the torque converter bypass clutch so that the resulting turbine speed will cause the vehicle engine to operate at an ideal speed and throttle setting that will achieve maximum brake specific fuel consumption wherein the time required for reaching the ideal speed is longer than the time required to complete engagement of the bypass clutch, thus effecting smooth clutch engagement with reduced energy absorption.

Driveaway lockup strategy for an infinitely variable tranmission with a

A continuously variable transmission control system having adjustable driving and driven sheave assemblies (124,126) connected drivably by a torque transfer belt or chain (144), each sheave assembly having a fluid pressure operated servo with a pressure chamber, distribution of control pressure to one servo (150,158,162) effecting a transmission ratio adjustment, control of pressure distribution to the other servo (202,210) resulting in a clamping force, a ratio control valve (246) for controlling distribution of pressure to the ratio controlling servo to effect upshifts and downshifts, provision being made for stabilizing the ratio control valve by providing for flow entry to the ratio control valve that is unrestricted, flow distribution to the ratio controlling servo having a controlled restriction whereby stability of the ratio control valve is achieved, fluid displaced from the ratio controlling servo being adapted to circulate through the ratio control valve to the inlet side (372) of the control system pump (70,72).

Radio control valve for a continuously variable transmission

A mechanical synchronizer clutch selectively connects drive gears to an output shaft in response to movement of an actuator piston that pressurizes a hydraulic disc clutch following engagement of the synchronizer clutch with the gears. The disc clutch applies power to the gear train and removes torque therefrom so that the synchronizer clutch can produce engagement under no load. A variable diameter belt driven transmission produces an infinite range of speed ratios between the driven and the driving shaft. The driven shaft is coupled to an output shaft through the forward drive and reverse drive gear elements.

Growing community of inventors

Livonia, MI, United States of America

Thomas T Tibbles