The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 04, 2025
Filed:
Apr. 04, 2024
Ford Global Technologies, Llc, Dearborn, MI (US);
Nicholas Kuhajda, Berkley, MI (US);
Kevin Ray Ruybal, Canton, MI (US);
Christopher Golecki, Farmington Hills, MI (US);
Jacob Gregory Powers, Livonia, MI (US);
Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
An electric vehicle includes an electric drive motor, transmission, and centrifugal clutch. The centrifugal clutch is drivingly coupled in a torque transmission path between the electric drive motor and the transmission. The centrifugal clutch includes a first friction plate, second friction plate, biasing member, and counterweight. The first friction plate is rotatable about an axis. The second friction plate is rotatable about the axis and axially movable relative to the first friction plate. The second friction plate is configured to frictionally engage the first friction plate to transmit torque therebetween. The biasing member biases the second friction plate toward the first friction plate. The counterweight assembly is coupled to the second friction plate and configured to apply a counterweight force on the second friction plate away from the first friction plate in response to a rotational speed of the second friction plate exceeding a predetermined rotational speed.