Eaton Corporation

Walter K O'Neil

Robert Joseph Mohan

Bruce C Beihoff

Charles J Tennies

William L Kelledes

David J Gritter

Francis S Richards, Jr

Carl E Rockey

Jerome Kenneth Hastings

David M Preston

Donald R Haefner

Rick L Boyer

Robert J Clarey

David W Turner

Steven J Zumbusch

Gerald L Larson

Don K St John

Bryce A Buuck

Daniel R Parks

Robert J Carroll

Mark L Leonard

Wayne E Klindt

Ram S Arora

William M Jarocha

Ricardo C Grillo

A hybrid powertrain system is provided that includes a first prime mover having a rotational output, a second prime mover having a rotational output, and a transmission having a main shaft supporting at least two main shaft gears thereon. The transmission includes a first independent countershaft drivingly connected to the first prime mover and including at least one ratio gear supported thereon that meshes with a respective main shaft gear. A second independent countershaft is drivingly connected to the second prime mover and includes at least one ratio gear supported thereon that meshes with a respective main shaft gear. The ratio gears on the first and second countershafts cooperate with the main shaft gears to provide at least one gear ratio between the first and second countershafts and the main shaft. A shift control mechanism selectively engages and disengages the first and second countershafts for rotation with the main shaft.

Hybrid powertrain system

An electromagnetic actuator having a coil, stator and an armature where dual parallel channels are formed in the stator for receiving the coil and where the armature is hinged to the stator for movement toward the stator upon application of an electrical current to the coil. The stator has a length, a width and a height where its length is at least 1.6 times its width and its width is at least 2.0 times its height.

Electromagnetic actuator having a low aspect ratio stator

A method of controlling a viscous fluid coupling (15) in which, when the vehicle engine (E) is operating at low speeds, if the speed of rotation (SF) of the fan exceeds a predetermined speed limit (L3), the input signal (29) to the coupling is modified to move the valve member (49) toward a closed position (FIG. 3A). This action reduces the occurrence of an overfill condition, thus reducing undesired fan noise when the engine again accelerates. Another aspect of the invention is to sense the speed (SE) of the engine, and whenever the sensed speed (SE) is high enough that operation in an excess slip heat region (ESH) is possible, compare the demanded fan speed (29) to the lower limit (CHP) of the slip heat region. Whenever the demanded fan speed exceeds the limit, the input signal (29) to the coupling is modified to operate the coupling at a speed safely above or below the slip heat region (ESH) depending on the state of control inputs such as engine temperature.

Viscous fan drive system logic

A control system for an engine throttle valve actuator uses an actuator position feedback loop with a compensation factor which applies a reverse voltage having an amplitude based on actuator momentum to a DC motor to effectuate an electrical braking action to achieve high speed response with positional accuracy. A separate position limiting feedback loop is used to prevent excessive actuator excursions. The engine throttle valve is controlled to a selected position by using a throttle valve position feedback loop and a compensation factor to provide a feedback signal to a summing junction.

Engine throttle servoactuator control system

An arc detection method and apparatus is provided for an electric circuit having an electrified conductor (46) connecting a voltage source (26) to a load (30). The arc detector includes a field sensor (62) sensing an electromagnetic field established about the conductor by the occurrence of an electrical arc in the electric circuit, and generating a field responsive signal in response thereto. Arc discrimination circuitry responds to the field sensor and generates an arc indicative signal in response to a random chaotic pattern of the field responsive signal.

Chaos sensing arc detection

An arc detection method and apparatus is provided for an electric circuit having an electrified conductor (46) connecting a voltage source (26) to a load (30). The system senses the electromagnetic field established about the conductor by the occurrence of an electrical arc in the electric circuit, and generates a field responsive signal. Arc discrimination circuitry responding to the field responsive signal and generates an arc indicative signal in response to a given characteristic of the field responsive signal. The system includes an E field sensor (66) and a B field sensor (68).

Field sensing arc detection

An arc detection method and apparatus is provided for an electric circuit having an electrified conductor (46) connecting a voltage source (26) to a load (30). A field sensor senses an electromagnetic field established about the conductor by the occurrence of an electrical arc in the circuit, and generates a field responsive signal. Arc discrimination circuitry includes frequency responsive circuitry responding to the field sensor and generating an arc indicative signal in response to a given frequency characteristic of the field responsive signal. The frequency responsive circuitry monitors a plurality of different frequencies of the field responsive signal, and generates the arc indicative signal in response to a given combination of field responsive signal frequencies. A comb filter passes the field responsive signal through a plurality of passbands, and the arc indicative signal is generated in response to a given frequency signature of the field responsive signal.

Frequency selective arc detection

A homoplanar brushless electric gerotor (10) includes a housing assembly (32) defining a substantially closed cavity (52), a fluid inlet port (88). Inner and outer gerotor pump gears (72,74), are eccentrically disposed for relative rotation within the cavity whereupon a working fluid received at the inlet port at a low pressure is discharged from the outlet port at a high pressure. A plurality of alternatingly radially polarized circumferentially aligned permanent magnets (76) are carried by one of the pump gears for rotation therewith. A stator including windings (44) circumferentially distributed and axially spaced from the permanent magnets (76) electromagnetically interact therewith to effect their rotation upon the electrical energization of the windings (44) by a drive circuit (26).

Homoplanar brushless electric gerotor

A viscous clutch (10) is typically employed in a fan drive mechanism within a truck or automobile. A shaft (18), driven by the engine (12), rotates a clutch member (42) within the fan drive. The clutch member is arranged for fluid engagement with a body member (60) for the transmission of torque thereto when fluid is disposed in an operating chamber (100) defined by complementary shear surfaces in the clutch and body members (48,98), respectively. An actuator assembly (30) operates to displace a valving element (196) within the clutch to control the torque transmission therethrough and thus the speed of the output shaft and fan (34) thereof. The actuator is electrically powered by a generator (222) made up of an armature (224) carried by the body member and a plurality of field generating magnets carried by clutch member (42) for rotational interaction therebetween. The clutch is tetherless and receives a slip speed demand signal by an optical or other non-contacting data link to provide tight control of fan speed and engine outlet coolant temperature.

Self powered remote viscous fluid coupling

A viscous clutch (10) is typically employed in a fan drive mechanism within a truck or automobile. A shaft (18), driven by the engine (12), rotates a clutch member (42) within the fan drive. The clutch member is arranged for fluid engagement with a body member (60) for the transmission of torque thereto when fluid is disposed in an operating chamber (100) defined by complimentary shear surfaces in the clutch and body members (48,98), respectively. An actuator assembly (30) operates to displace a valving element (196) within the clutch to control the torque transmission therethrough and thus the speed of the output shaft and fan (34) thereof. The actuator is electrically powered by a generator (222) made up of an armature (224) carried by the body member and a plurality of field generating magnets carried by clutch member (42) for rotational interaction therebetween. The clutch is tetherless and receives a slip speed demand signal by an optical or other non-contacting data link to provide tight control of fan speed and engine outlet coolent temperature.

Remote sensing viscous fluid coupling

A viscous fan clutch (10) is typically employed in a fan drive mechanism within a truck or automobile. A shaft (18), driven by the engine (12), rotates a clutch member (42) within the fan drive. The clutch member is arranged for fluid engagement with a body member (60) for the transmission of torque thereto when fluid is disposed in an operating chamber (106) defined by complimentary shear surfaces in the clutch and body members (48 and 98), respectively. A tether assembly (30) operates as an actuator to displace a valving element (196) within the clutch to control the torque transmission there through and thus the speed of the output shaft and fan (34) thereof. Fan speed is regulated by variable current signal applied to a coil (174) within assembly (30) to selectively variably frictionally engage valve element assembly (196) with a grounded thrust surface or reaction member (190) to effect limited displacement of a valve element (198) in response thereto. A fan speed feedback signal is generated by teeth (164) passing in close proximity to a magnetic pick-up (166) is integrated within tether housing (122) and output to control circuit (222) via a conducting path (173 or 183).

Viscous fan drive control with integrated speed sensor

A power steering system suitable for large off-highway and other vehicles has no mechanical linkages or hydraulic connections entering into the driver's cab. Torque demand signals are produced in an electromechanical torque sensor that measures the deflections of a torsional spring. The system provides synchronization between steering and steered wheels upon starting, without initial corrective motion of either member. During operation, the direction of the steered wheels does not drift with respect to the position of the steering wheel. In the event of certain types of failures of its primary steering system the apparatus automatically changes over to an open-loop secondary steering system that is controllable by the same steering wheel, and that has components in common with the closed-loop primary system.

Power steering system

A viscous fan clutch (10) is typically employed in a fan drive mechanism within in a truck or or automobile. A shaft (18), driven by the engine (12), rotates a clutch member (42) within the fan drive. The clutch member is arranged for fluid engagement with a body member (60) for the transmission of torque thereto when fluid is disposed in an operating chamber (100) defined by complementary shear surfaces in the clutch and body members (48 and 98), respectively. A tether assembly (30) operates as an actuator to displace a valving member (158) within the clutch to control the torque transmission therethrough and thus the speed of the output shaft (and fan 34) thereof. Fan speed is regulated as a function of a sensed temperature of the host engine by a control circuit (176) which senses fan speed and coolant fluid temperature and generates a speed error signal as a function of temperature.

Closed loop pulse modulated viscous fan control

A torque transducer (10) generates a signal representing torque applied to an input shaft (12) to the transducer. The input shaft is resiliently connected to an output shaft (14), permitting limited relative rotation between the two which is sensed by the selective shunting of an electromagnetic field. Multiple fields and shunting devices (76 and 78) are provided which coact complementarily (in shunting effect) to provide a usable signal throughout an entire range of operation. In application, the transducer is intended for electrically assisted vehicle power steering systems.

Torque transducer

A drivetrain (48) for an electric passenger vehicle (10) includes a battery (40) for energizing a single-phase A.C. traction motor (18) which drives a ground engaging wheel (12) through a multi-speed transaxle (20). The motor is characterized by an external ferrite permanent magnet rotor (26) drivingly engaging an input shaft (32) of the transaxle. The motor is controlled by an inverter circuit (44) and a control circuit (46) which generates switch command signals to reciprocally actuate power transistors (56 and 62) within the inverter circuit as a function of operator demand, rotor position and rotor speed. The control circuit includes a motor positioning circuit (442) which toggles the motor current when the rotor speed falls below a predetermined level to dither the rotor about a park position for a predetermined period. A pre-start rotor positioner (224) is provided to mechanically lock the rotor in its park position to ensure the availability of a high electrical starting torque. Finally, a minimum starting speed circuit (599) provides for motor startup from other than the normal rotor park position.

Growing community of inventors

Birmingham, MI, United States of America

Walter K O'Neil