Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Xiaoyong Lu

John W Kimes

Norman Jerry Bird

Bernard J Simon

Michael J McDonough

Dennis Neil Wys

Gregory Dean Gardner

Nicholas Niemiec

Diana Barbara Placha

Lisa Waldock

Norm Jerry Bird

Thomas Eugene Kathman, Jr

Steven Michael Archer

Methods and system are provided for locking a half shaft to a wheel hub to engage four wheel drive are disclosed. In one example, a wheel hub is locked to a half shaft via a radially expanding engagement mechanism. The radially expanding engagement mechanism is without grease and without springs.

Wheel end disconnect system and method

Methods and systems are provided for starting a vehicle engine. In one example, an engine starter system for starting the vehicle engine may comprise a ring gear coupled to an engine crankshaft, and a pinion gear coupled to a starter motor, the pinion gear having rotatable rocker elements for engaging the ring gear. In this way, the pinion gear may be engaged with the ring gear to transmit torque from the starter motor to the engine crankshaft to quickly start the engine.

Rocker pinion starter

A one-way clutch includes a first race having mutually spaced pockets formed with an opening at a periphery of the first race, each pocket being at least partially bounded by a wall that extends along at least a portion of a margin of the pocket and contains a drive surface. A second race includes a series of alternating notches and cam surfaces formed on a periphery of the second race facing the openings. A plurality of rockers is located in the pockets. Each rocker includes an engagement surface for driveably engaging and disengaging a notch, a reaction surface for contacting the drive surface when the engagement surface driveably engages a notch, and guide surfaces for contacting the pocket wall to guide movement of the rocker from a disengaged position toward an engaged position. Springs, located on the first race, urge the rockers toward engagement with the cam surfaces.

Overrunning clutch

An overrunning clutch includes a cam plate formed with cams angularly spaced about a central axis, and a rocker plate that includes pockets angularly spaced about the central axis. Each pocket includes a first concave surface having a center located within the pocket and through which a pivot axis passes. Each pocket contains a rocker that includes a first convex surface complementary to, and at least partially surrounded by the first concave surface. Springs, supported on the rocker plate, each urge a rocker to pivot about the pivot axis toward the cam plate.

Ratcheting one-way clutch having rockers

A one-way clutch includes a cam plate formed with notches, a rocker plate formed with pockets mutually spaced angularly about an axis, each pocket including an open axial end, and a surface that closes each pocket at an end opposite the open axial end of each pocket. A rocker is located in a respective pocket for movement toward and away from engagement with a notch on the cam plate. Springs are supported on the rocker plate, each spring urging a rocker toward engagement with a notch.

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Canton, MI, United States of America

Xiaoyong Lu