Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Timothy Raphael Allen

Steven Gerald Thomas

Hong Jiang

Bal Sankpal

Juliette McCoy

Ashok E Rodrigues

Steve G Thomas

Nathan A Everett

Harold Bruce Davidson

Jeffrey A Stegman

James Warren Young

In a driveline for a motor vehicle that includes an automatic transmission having an output shaft that drives a transfer case, an oil sump located in the transfer case, a pump supplied with fluid from the first sump, delivers fluid to a lubrication circuit in the transmission, a second sump supplies fluid to the inlet of a second pump, whose output supplies a second lubrication circuit located in the transfer case. Both of the hydraulic pumps are continually driveably connected to a set of the vehicle's drive wheels.

Transmission and transfer case having integrated lubrication systems

In a motor vehicle driveline including a transfer case whose output is continually connected to a first output, a clutch, operating partially engaged, responds to a control signal to change the degree of clutch engagement, whereby a second output is connected driveably to the first output. A digital computer continually calculates a change in clutch temperature at frequent intervals and updates a running sum of clutch temperature changes. The control causes the clutch to more fully engage if the current calculated clutch temperature exceeds a predetermined reference clutch temperature.

Method and system for controlling a transfer case clutch to protect against excessive heat

A motor vehicle powertrain includes a transmission producing multiple speed ratios, and a transfer case including a second input driveably connected to the transmission output, a second output continually driveably connected to a first set of wheels and releasably connected to a second set of wheels, for producing alternately in the transfer case a low speed ratio and a high speed ratio. A mode selector produces a signal representing a desired driving mode. A controller, responsive to the signals produced by the mode selector, controls the transmission to produce alternately the multiple speed ratios of the transmission, and for controls the transfer case to operate alternately in the low speed ratio and high speed ratio that corresponds to the desired driving mode and a current speed ratio produced by the transmission.

Transfer case having selectable driving modes suited to motor vehicle load and road conditions

In a motor vehicle driveline having an automatic transmission driveably connected to a transfer case whose output is continually connected to a first output, a clutch, selectively engaged in response to a control signal, driveably connects a second output to the first output. A digital computer continually monitors the occurrence of a change of clutch slip, input torque and a torque rate change to control the torque transmitted by the clutch to the second output. The control causes the clutch to transmit torque to the second output having a constant fraction of the input clutch torque and another portion that is proportional to the clutch slip. This result simulates the torque slip characteristics produced by transfer case having both a center differential mechanism and a viscous clutch.

Method and apparatus for controlling a transfer case clutch to improve vehicle handling

In a motor vehicle driveline having an automatic transmission driveably connected to a transfer case, a park gear, continually driveably connected through a planetary gear set to the drive wheels of the vehicle, is alternately fixed against rotation on the transfer case or released to rotate freely in response to movement of a gear selector having a park position. When the gear selector is moved to the park position, a pawl holds the drive wheels against rotation. When the gear selector is moved from the park position, the drive wheels are free to rotate without restraint of the park mechanism.

Park brake mechanism for integrated transmission and transfer case

In a motor vehicle driveline including a transfer case whose output is continually connected to a first output, a clutch, operating partially engaged, responds to a control signal to change the degree of clutch engagement, whereby a second output is connected driveably to the first output. A digital computer, repetitively executing a computer readable program code algorithm for operating the clutch partially engaged, continually selects a desired magnitude of clutch engagement with reference to functions indexed by vehicle speed and either engine throttle position or engine throttle rate. The computer repetitively updates at frequent intervals the desired degree of clutch engagement, and issues a command clutch duty cycle to a solenoid-controlled valve, which signal changes the degree of clutch engagement in response to the command signal.

Method and system for controlling a transfer case clutch to avoid wheel slip

An assembly including mutually engaged spline teeth includes a rubber isolator, retained in position between an external splined surface, and an internal splined surface is supported against movement and is adapted to contact the lateral face of an adjacent spline tooth so that the isolator is compressed due to rotation of one of the components relative to the other over a range of movement. Then the metal surfaces of the teeth on the first and second components are in mutually contact. In one form, the isolator is retained by an interference fit on a post located within an intervening space between teeth.

Engagement noise isolator for an automatic transmission

An assembly of components that includes a sun gear having several radial shoulders as a reference for the location of other components, an overrunning coupling having a surface contacting one of the shoulders, a spline engaging a spline formed on the sun gear, and a clutch hub having tabs that are elastically deformed from an inclined position to a substantially radial position in order to seat within a groove and to contact the second and third shoulders of the sun gear.

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Livonia, MI, United States of America

Timothy Raphael Allen