| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090032356 | TORQUE-TRANSMITTING DEVICE HAVING A DIMPLED FRICTION PLATE - A clutch including a reaction plate configured to exert a compression force. The clutch further includes a friction plate having a surface opposing the reaction plate. A friction material layer has a first surface attached to the surface of the friction plate, and a second surface opposing the reaction plate. The second surface of the friction material layer has a plurality of dimples formed therein. Further, a lubrication fluid is disposed between the reaction plate and the friction material layer for transferring the compression force and providing a lubrication layer between the reaction plate and the friction plate. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090078527 | CLUTCH FOR A TRANSMISSION - The clutch of the present invention has a reaction plate, a friction plate, a friction layer, and at least one non-compressible member. The friction plate is disposed adjacent the reaction plate for frictionally engaging the reaction plate to transfer a driving torque between the reaction plate and the friction plate when the compression force is applied. The friction layer has at least one groove. The at least one non-compressible member is disposed in the at least one groove for preventing further compression of the friction layer by the reaction plate. The at least one non-compressible member is adhered to the friction plate or press fit within the friction layer. | 03-26-2009 |
| 20090090592 | High-Frequency Anti-Lock Clutch System and Method - A clutch assembly is provided including a controller, a plurality of vibration sensors, a clutch housing containing a lubricated clutch pack having a friction interface, a clutch piston responsive to a current command from the controller and operable for applying a compression force on the clutch pack, and a high-frequency (HF) oscillation source configured to generate at least one HF oscillation, and to direct the HF oscillation to the friction interface, wherein the controller is operable to detect clutch shudder and activate the source in response thereto to minimize the clutch shudder. The source includes HF hardware, and generates different HF oscillations applied directly to the clutch housing or to the clutch-apply current command. A method of reducing clutch shudder includes setting a threshold clutch shudder amplitude, detecting clutch shudder, and applying a HF oscillation to a friction interface to minimize clutch shudder when the detected shudder exceeds the threshold. | 04-09-2009 |
| 20090148324 | VARIABLE DISPLACEMENT VANE PUMP - The present invention provides a vane pump having variable displacement and high efficiency. The variable displacement vane pump includes a plurality of elongate, axially extending inserts disposed in the rotor. One of the inserts is disposed between every adjacent vane pair. The inserts are received within axially extending pockets in the rotor and are coupled to the rotor by springs. At lower rotational speeds, the inserts are retracted and the displacement of the pump chambers is at maximum. At higher rotational speeds, the inserts are advanced into the pump chambers, effectively reducing their displacement. Thus, the variable displacement pump compensates for the varying drive speed and achieves improved uniformity of fluid flow by providing maximum displacement at low speeds and reduced displacement at higher speeds. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20090321210 | COATINGS FOR CLUTCH PLATES - A multi-layer coating for a smooth contact surface of a clutch plate and a method for manufacturing the same have been developed. This coating can help reduce the prevalence of clutch shudder, noise, and plate wear that is often encountered in a friction-disc clutch mechanism found in a motor vehicle's powertrain. The multi-layer coating may comprise a relatively soft base layer and one or more relatively hard particle layers overlying the base layer. This combination of layers can help provide stable friction characteristics and thermal properties between clutch plate surfaces. One or more optional bonding layers may also be provided between any two adjacent layers to improve the adherent bonding therebetween. At least some of the layers of the multi-layer coating may be applied by a HVO/AF thermal spray procedure. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20100038174 | DIFFERENTIAL LUBRICANT TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER - The invention is a device for controlling the temperature and thus the viscosity of the lubricating fluid in a rear axle or differential. A first embodiment of the device comprehends a curved bi-metal strip or plate disposed proximate the ring gear and closely conforming to it. The strip extends about the periphery of the ring gear in the direction of rotation of the gear when the vehicle is moving forward. As the temperature of the lubricating fluid increases or decreases, the bi-metal strip or plate moves to direct a larger or smaller flow of the lubricating fluid toward the housing through which heat is transferred to the atmosphere. In another embodiment, a bi-metal baffle disposed adjacent the ring gear includes a plurality of flaps which open upon a rise in lubricating fluid temperature and direct more fluid to the housing to assist heat dissipation. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100175964 | CLUTCH REACTION PLATE - A torque-transfer clutch includes a clutch reaction plate including an annular-shaped reaction element fixedly attached to a rigid plate element. The annular-shaped reaction element includes a preformed spring steel element and a plurality of undulations projecting orthogonal to a planar surface of the rigid plate element. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20110062082 | MEMBRANE SEPARATION OF WATER AND FUEL FROM ENGINE OIL IN AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE - Water and fuel contaminating material may be removed from a stream operating engine. A suitable membrane material is supported in a suitable housing. At least a portion of the contaminated oil stream is flowed over one side of the membrane and water and fuel material diffuses through the membrane to its other side where they are gathered and removed from the housing. The water and fuel material may be recovered separately using different membranes or different regions of a membrane. They may be swept from the membrane and housing a flow of air for disposition outside the housing. | 03-17-2011 |
| 20110073546 | HEATED AIR ASSISTED MEMBRANE SEPARATION OF WATER AND FUEL FROM ENGINE OIL IN AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE - Contaminating water and/or fuel material may be removed from a stream of internal combustion engine lubricating oil being circulated over parts of an operating engine. A suitable membrane material is supported in a suitable housing. At least a portion of the oil stream is flowed over one side of the membrane and water and/or fuel material diffuses through the membrane to its other side where they are gathered and removed from the housing. The water and fuel material may be recovered separately using different membranes or different regions of a membrane. They may be swept from the membranes and housings using streams of flowing air heated to a pre-selected temperatures using waste engine heat for disposition outside the housing. Application of this practice to other membrane-separable mixtures is described. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20110083650 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO REMOVE A FLUIDIC CONTAMINANT FROM LUBRICATING OIL - A device for removing a fluidic contaminant from lubricating oil in an internal combustion engine includes a fluid absorbing element comprising a mounting element and a fluid absorption media assembled into a sump of a crankcase of the internal combustion engine. The fluid absorbing element is immersed within the oil contained in the sump when the engine is not operating. The fluid absorption media is configured to absorb a fluidic contaminant in the engine oil when the engine is not operating and to desorb the absorbed fluidic contaminant. | 04-14-2011 |
| 20110083651 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO REMOVE A FLUIDIC CONTAMINANT FROM LUBRICATING OIL - A device for removing a fluidic contaminant from engine oil in an internal combustion engine includes a fluid absorbing element having a mounting element and a fluid absorption media assembled into a sump of a crankcase of the internal combustion engine. A first portion of the fluid absorption media is immersed within the engine oil contained in the sump when the engine is not operating and a second portion of the fluid absorption media is exposed to ambient air contained in a head space of the crankcase. The fluid absorption media is configured to absorb a fluidic contaminant in the engine oil during a period when the engine is not operating and to desorb the absorbed fluidic contaminant. | 04-14-2011 |
| 20110084010 | SERVICEABLE OIL FILTER DEVICE - A serviceable device for filtering lubricating oil includes an inlet and an outlet, a first filtering element and an absorption filtering element. The absorption filtering element is configured to absorb a fluidic contaminant present in the lubricating oil when in contact with the absorption filtering element. A flow path for the lubricating oil is from the inlet, through the first filtering element, and out the outlet. The flow path further includes lubricating oil contact with the absorption filtering element. | 04-14-2011 |
