| MEANS INDUSTRIES, INC. Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
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| 20110297500 | DIECAST COUPLING MEMBER INCLUDING A POCKET HAVING A MACHINED SURFACE PORTION, METHOD FOR MAKING THE COUPLING MEMBER AND CLUTCH ASSEMBLY INCLUDING THE COUPLING MEMBER - A diecast pocket plate or coupling member including a pocket with a machined surface layer or portion, a method for making the coupling member and an overrunning clutch assembly including the coupling member are provided. The member is formed as a unitary diecasting from a die-casting material in a die-casting process. The diecast member includes a coupling face having at least one pocket which is sized and shaped to receive and retain a locking member that moves in the pocket during an overrun condition of the assembly. The pocket is defined by a plurality of surface portions including an angled, slightly positive surface portion which is machined vertical or slightly negative to improve performance of the assembly during the overrun condition. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110233026 | OVERRUNNING COUPLING AND CONTROL ASSEMBLY INCLUDING AN ELECTROMECHANICAL ACTUATOR SUBASSEMBLY - An overrunning coupling or clutch and control assembly including first and second coupling members and an electromechanical actuator subassembly having an electromagnetically inductive coil which creates a magnetic flux when the coil is energized is provided. A control force caused by the magnetic flux is applied to an armature member of the subassembly to move the armature member and cause the coupling members to be either coupled to or uncoupled from each other by means of struts. | 09-29-2011 |
| 20110214962 | DIECAST COUPLING MEMBER FOR USE IN AN ENGAGEABLE COUPLING ASSEMBLY - A diecast pocket plate or member having a sacrificial surface layer or portion is provided. The member is formed as a unitary die-casting from a die-casting alloy strengthened by an alloying material in a die-casting process. The diecast member includes a coupling face having a pocket which is sized and shaped to receive and nominally retain a locking member that moves in the pocket during an overrun condition of an engageable coupling assembly. The diecast member also includes a relatively hard base portion including particles of the strengthening alloying material of the die-casting alloy. The diecast member further includes a plurality of surface portions which define the pocket. At least one generally vertical surface portion of the surface portions is soft relative to the hard base portion and is substantially devoid of the particles of the alloying material so that the at least one generally vertical surface portion wears or deforms (i.e., is sacrificial) during contact of the locking member against the at least one generally vertical surface portion during the overrun condition. | 09-08-2011 |
| 20110192697 | ENGAGEABLE COUPLING ASSEMBLY HAVING REDUCED SPIN LOSSES AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING SUCH ASSEMBLY WITHIN AN AUTOMOTIVE TRANSMISSION TO REDUCE SUCH LOSSES - An engageable coupling assembly having reduced spin losses and method of assembling such assembly within an automotive transmission to reduce such losses are provided. The assembly is adapted for use with pressurized fluid. The assembly includes first and second coupling members that are supported with respect to each other for relative rotation about a common rotational axis. The coupling members have a first pair of annular faces that oppose each other and define an annular space therebetween. A first face of the first pair has a set of pockets spaced about the rotational axis. A second face of the first pair has a set of locking formations. The coupling members have a second pair of annular faces that oppose each other. A first face of the second pair defines a first set of fluid grooves fluidly communicating the annular space with an exterior surface of the assembly. The fluid grooves are configured to conduct the pressurized fluid from the annular space and out of the assembly in an axial direction during an overrun condition of the assembly, thereby reducing spin losses when the assembly is disengaged. | 08-11-2011 |
| 20110177900 | HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE DRIVE SYSTEM AND CONTROL SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING A HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE DRIVE SYSTEM - A hybrid electric vehicle drive system and a control system for controlling a hybrid drive system are provided. The drive system includes a housing, an input shaft for inputting motive power from an internal combustion engine and an output shaft operatively linked to at least one drive wheel. The drive system also includes a first electric motor disposed within the housing and having a first rotor and a stator fixed to the housing and a second electric motor disposed within the housing and having a second rotor and a stator fixed to the housing. The drive system further includes gearing disposed within the housing and coupled to the second rotor to transmit revolutions of the second rotor to the output shaft. The drive system still further includes a planetary gear set disposed within the housing. The gear set includes a first rotary element coupled to the input shaft, a second rotary element coupled to the first rotor and a third rotary element coupled to the gearing. The gearing transmits revolutions of the third rotary element to the output shaft. The drive system also includes a controllable overrunning coupling assembly including a first coupling member fixed to the housing and a second coupling member coupled to the second rotary element and supported for rotation relative to the first coupling member in an overrun mode and coupled to the first coupling member in a locked mode. The second rotary element is locked to the housing in the locked mode of the coupling assembly. | 07-21-2011 |
| 20100252384 | CONTROLLABLE COUPLING ASSEMBLY AND OVERRUNNING COUPLING AND CONTROL ASSEMBLY UTILIZING SAME - A controllable coupling assembly including a coupling member and an overrunning coupling and control assembly utilizing same are provided wherein a set of actuators are supported on a control member of the assembly for movement therewith to move or pivot respective struts received within pockets of the coupling member. Apparatus is responsive to a control pressure signal to exert a control force on the control member to cause the control member to move from its first position which corresponds to a first mode of the coupling assembly to its second position which corresponds to a second mode of the coupling assembly. The coupling assembly may be an overrunning clutch assembly. | 10-07-2010 |
| 20100230226 | OVERRUNNING ONE-WAY CLUTCH OR COUPLING ASSEMBLY - An overrunning one-way clutch or coupling assembly includes a first outer coupling member and an inner coupling member which together have a first pair of annular coupling faces therebetween and a second outer coupling member which together with the inner coupling member have a second pair of annular coupling faces therebetween. Both pairs of coupling faces are formed with sets of pockets and locking formations. Forward and reverse sets of struts are located in pockets axially spaced apart from each other. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20100200358 | OVERRUNNING COUPLING AND CONTROL ASSEMBLY INCLUDING APPARATUS HAVING A LATCHING MECHANISM - Overrunning coupling and control assemblies, each of which includes control apparatus having a latching mechanism are provided. Each latching mechanism prevents an actuator arm of an overrunning coupling assembly from moving in a first direction substantially parallel to a shift direction of a control plate of the coupling assembly within a housing slot in a locked condition of the mechanism in a first position of the control plate. A control pressure signal within a bore of the housing changes the condition of the latching mechanism from locked to unlocked to unlock the actuator arm and causes the unlocked actuator arm to move along the first direction within the slot and the control element to move along the shift direction to a second position. The control pressure signal also causes a piston which has a groove formed in its outer surface to receive and retain a free end portion of the actuator arm to slide within the bore in the housing against the biasing force of the at least one biasing member. In the absence of a control pressure signal, the at least one biasing member moves the piston and thereby the unlocked actuator arm in a second direction opposite the first direction within the slot and the control element along the shift direction from the second position back to the first position and changes the condition of the latching mechanism from unlocked to locked to lock the actuator arm. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20090211863 | Controllable Overrunning Coupling Assembly - A controllable overrunning coupling assembly includes a control member mounted for controlled shifting movement between a first pair of coupling faces of first and second coupling members relative to reverse pockets formed in one of the coupling faces. The first pair of coupling faces oppose each other and are oriented to face axially along a common rotational axis. The control member is operable for controlling position of only reverse struts in the reverse pockets without controlling the position of forward rockers in forward pockets formed in a coupling face of a second pair of coupling faces of the coupling members that oppose each other and are oriented to face radially with respect to the rotational axis. | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090159391 | Overrunning Coupling Assembly - An overrunning coupling assembly includes a control element mounted for controlled shifting movement between coupling faces of annular coupling members relative to a first set of pockets in the first member. The control element is operable for controlling position of only reverse struts in the first set of pockets without controlling the position of forward struts in a second set of pockets in the coupling face of the second member. The control element allows at least one of the reverse struts to engage at least one of a set of locking formations on the coupling face of the second coupling member in a first position of the control element. The control element maintains the reverse struts in their pockets in a second position of the control element. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090098970 | High-Efficiency Vehicular Transmission - A high-efficiency vehicular transmission is provided. The transmission includes a transmission housing, a set of torque delivery elements which include first and second elements supported for rotation within the housing and an electric motor for changing angular velocity of at least one of the elements in response to an electrical signal during a shift to obtain a desired transmission ratio. At least one non-friction controllable coupling assembly has a coupling state for coupling the first element to either the second element or the housing and an uncoupling state for uncoupling the first element from either the second element or the housing, respectively. The at least one coupling assembly is non-hydraulically controlled to change state to maintain the desired transmission ratio. | 04-16-2009 |
| 20090045024 | Overrunning Radial Coupling Assembly Having Dual Bearing Support - An overrunning radial coupling assembly having dual bearing support is provided. The assembly includes an inner member having an outer peripheral surface and an outer member having an inner peripheral surface adjacent the outer peripheral surface in radially inner and radially outer relationship. At least one of the members is mounted for rotation about an axis. One of the members includes pockets angularly spaced about the axis. Each of the pockets has a closed end and an open end located axially opposite the closed end. The assembly further includes a plurality of pawls. Each of the pawls is located in a pocket and is supported to pivot toward the peripheral surface of the other of the members. The assembly still further includes a retainer secured to one of the members. The retainer covers the open end of the pockets. The inner and outer peripheral surfaces define a first radial bearing interface adjacent the closed end of each of the pockets. The retainer has a bearing surface which together with one of the peripheral surfaces define a second radial bearing interface adjacent the open end of each of the pockets. The first and second radial bearing interfaces react and carry an internal moment load to prevent contact of the peripheral surfaces during overrunning. | 02-19-2009 |
