Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Fca US LLC

Zhe Xie

Vijay A Neelakantan

Bret M Olson

Philip C Lundberg

Robert L Moses

James M Hart

Andrew W Phillips

Steven Patrick Moorman

James D Hendrickson

Anthony L Smith

Timothy P Philippart

Hong Yang

John E Marano

Chinar S Ghike

Mark A Levine

Namrood Al-Mooshi

Richard G Whalen

Stephen W Erskine

Terry S Johnecheck

John N Henley, Iii

Christopher Cinpinski

An additive manufactured (AM) hydraulic control assembly includes a first AM hydraulic passage having a first tubular wall defining a first fluid passage, a second AM hydraulic passage integrally formed with the first AM hydraulic passage and having a second tubular wall defining a second fluid passage, and an AM wall integrally formed with the first and second AM hydraulic passages and fluidly separating the first and second fluid passages. At least one of (i) a hydraulic control orifice is formed in the AM wall and configured to regulate fluid flow and pressure between the first and second fluid passages, and (ii) a ball seat is formed in the AM wall and a check ball is disposed in one of the first and second fluid passages and configured to selectively seal against the ball seat to facilitate preventing fluid flow therethrough.

Hydraulic control unit valve porting, routing, checkball, and orifice integration with additive manufacturing

An electric drive module (EDM) configured to generate and transfer drive torque to a driveline for propulsion of an electric vehicle. The EDM includes a gearbox assembly, an electric motor having a rotor and a stator, and a thermal management system. The thermal management system includes a fluid circuit configured to supply a fluid to the gearbox assembly, the rotor, and the stator, and a pump configured to direct the fluid through the fluid circuit. A valve is disposed on the fluid circuit and configured to selectively move between (i) a closed position where the fluid is not supplied to the stator, and (ii) an open position where the fluid is supplied to the stator for cooling thereof.

Vehicle electric drive module with thermal management system

An electro-hydraulic park control system includes a park piston and a park control valve disposed in a valve body of a transmission of a vehicle and configured to control a supply of hydraulic fluid pressure to control the park piston and to operate such that (i) no single element failure of the transmission will cause the transmission to shift from a park state to a non-park state or (ii) to shift from a drive, reverse, or neutral state to the park state, (iii) the transmission is able to remain in the non-park state and remain in or transition to the neutral state when a controller of the transmission is malfunctioning while the transmission is operating in the drive, reverse, and neutral states, and (iv) the transmission is able to quickly transition to the park state while an engine/motor driven pump of the transmission is off or not running.

Automatic transmission park control system

Systems and methods are provided for detecting collisions between objects and an autonomous vehicle. The system includes a computer vision system configured to use acquired environmental data to determine a velocity vector of an object relative to the autonomous vehicle and a distance between the object and the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous driving system also includes a vehicle motion sensing module configured to use acquired vehicle motion data to determine an acceleration vector of the autonomous vehicle. The autonomous driving system also includes a collision detection module configured to register a collision between the object and the autonomous vehicle when the determined acceleration vector is detected having a direction that is substantially the same as a direction of the determined velocity vector of the object and when the determined distance between the object and the autonomous vehicle is less than a predetermined amount.

Systems and methods for collision detection in autonomous vehicles

A speed ratio containment process limits the speed ratio of a variator for a CVT for a motor vehicle when rolling backward by commanding a speed ratio that is higher than the actual speed ratio in an overdrive direction. Accordingly, the actual speed ratio moves to a lowest limit, which provides maximum torque when a driver of the motor vehicle steps on the accelerator pedal to resume forward motion of the motor vehicle.

Containment control for a continuously variable transmission

A variable flow orifice for a hydraulic control system in a transmission includes a shape memory alloy that selectively increases and decreases the size of an orifice. The deformation of the shape memory alloy, and therefore the size of the orifice, is a function of the temperature of the transmission. During cold conditions the orifice size is increased and during normal operating conditions the size of the orifice is decreased.

Temperature dependent variable flow orifice

A hydraulic control system for a continuously variable transmission includes a pressure regulator subsystem, a ratio control subsystem, a torque converter control (TCC) subsystem, a variable lubrication control subsystem, a variator clamping subsystem, and a clutch control subsystem. The variable lubrication control subsystem allows for increased and decreased oil flow to components of the variable transmission based on demand. The pressure regulator subsystem provides binary line pressure control to the lubrication subsystem.

Hydraulic control system for a continuously variable transmission

A system for lubricating transmission components with hydraulic fluid includes a pump and a motor coupled to the pump. The pump has an inlet port that receives hydraulic fluid and an outlet port from which hydraulic fluid is pumped to the transmission components. A pump pressure is regulated by adjusting a motor torque of the motor, and the motor torque is set by commands based on a look-up table or a formula.

Electric pump

A system for providing pressurized hydraulic fluid includes an engine driven main pump and an electrical motor driven auxiliary pump. The auxiliary pump provides hydraulic fluid at line pressure to shift control subsystems during a vehicle launch while the main pump provides hydraulic fluid to cooler or lubrication subsystems during the vehicle launch. A pressure regulation valve regulates the pressure of the hydraulic fluid from the main pump. Once the main pump reaches a critical speed, the main pump provides hydraulic fluid at line pressure to the hydraulic control system and the auxiliary pump is turned off.

Transmission hydraulic control system having flow augmentation

A stepper motor assembly includes a unipolar winding stepper motor, four drivers, and a transmission control module. The stepper motor has four coil parts. Each driver has a transistor connected to one of the coil parts. Each driver is operable to drive a phase of the stepper motor, where first and second phases are opposites of each other and third and fourth phases are opposites of each other. The transmission control module houses the four transistors. A transmission is also disclosed that includes the disclosed stepper motor assembly.

Stepper motor with common solenoid current driver

A MEMS fluid control system is provided having a micro-electro-mechanical system. The system includes a plurality of ports, a cavity, a valve, an actuator, and a pair of electrical contacts. The plurality of ports are in communication with the cavity, the valve is disposed in the cavity, and the valve is connected to the actuator. The system further includes a hydraulic circuit having a pressure supply line in communication with a first of the plurality of ports, a control line in communication with a second of the plurality of ports, and an exhaust line in communication with a third of the plurality of ports. The valve includes an elongated portion and a blocking portion, the blocking portion includes a first, a second, and a third portions.

MEMS valve operating profile

A device or actuator includes a first component made of Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) that applies force to a second component of the device to provide a controllable actuator. The SMA component is selectively energized by using active electric current through it.

Shape memory alloy actuator

In a multiple mode continuously variable transmission having a variator, a planetary gear assembly, a low mode brake that grounds a first component of the planetary gear assembly to provide lower operating speeds and a high mode brake that grounds a second component of the planetary gear assembly to provide higher operating speeds, the method of providing a mode upshift comprising the steps of adjusting the ratio of the variator from a low ratio to a high ratio, releasing the low mode brake while simultaneously engaging the high mode brake during a torque phase of the shift and reducing the variator ratio from a high ratio to a low ratio during the inertia phase of the shift, thereby eliminating torque interruption and providing a constant torque output.

Method of eliminating torque interruption during mode shift

A hydraulic control system includes a source of pressurized hydraulic fluid for providing a pressurized hydraulic fluid, a main line circuit in fluid communication with the source of pressurized hydraulic fluid, a regulation valve in communication with the source of pressurized hydraulic fluid, the regulation valve moveable between a plurality of positions, and a lubrication valve in communication with the regulation valve, the lubrication valve moveable between a plurality of positions. A lubrication circuit and a cooling circuit are in communication with the lubrication valve. The regulation valve allows pressurized hydraulic fluid to communicate with the lubrication valve after the main line circuit is saturated, the lubrication valve allows fluid communication between the regulation valve and the lubrication circuit until the lubrication circuit is saturated, and the lubrication valve allows fluid communication between the regulation valve and the cooling circuit and the lubrication circuit after the lubrication circuit is saturated.

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Rochester, MI, United States of America

Zhe Xie