| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20080214355 | Electrohydraulic Torque Transfer Device - A power transmission device includes an actuator having an electric motor driving a pump to supply pressurized fluid to a piston acting on a friction clutch to transfer torque between rotatable input and output members. In one instance, a valve between the pump outlet and the piston selectively traps pressurized fluid acting on the piston without continued energization of the electric motor. A gerotor may be formed from a material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion and a housing formed from a material having a second lower coefficient of thermal expansion to vary pump component clearances as the viscosity of the pumped fluid changes with changes in temperature. A method of controlling the power transmission device includes defining a correlation between pump speed, fluid temperature and fluid pressure, determining fluid temperature, determining pump speed, and rotating the pump to transfer a predetermined quantity of torque. | 09-04-2008 |
| 20080287250 | ELECTRONICALLY-CONTROLLED HYDRAULICALLY-ACTUATED COUPLING - A power transmission device includes a friction clutch operable to selectively transfer torque between an input member and an output member. An actuator is operable to provide an actuating force to the friction clutch. The actuator includes an electric motor having an output shaft drivingly coupled to a pump. The pump is operable to provide pressurized fluid to a piston acting on the friction clutch. | 11-20-2008 |
| 20090011889 | Locking Differential Assembly - An axle assembly with an electric locking differential that can include a one-piece differential case and a locking device. The locking device includes a dog that is nonrotatably but axially slidably received into a pocket that is formed in an end of the differential case. An actuator is mounted on the differential case. Actuation of the actuator moves the dog into engagement with a second dog that is coupled to a side gear of the differential to thereby lock the side gear to the differential case. | 01-08-2009 |
| 20090019966 | Pre-load mechanism for helical gear differential - A differential assembly for a vehicle includes a differential casing rotatable about an axis. The differential casing defines a cavity. A pair of side gears is disposed within the differential casing cavity. First and second pairs of pinion gears are rotatably positioned in the cavity in driving engagement with the side gears. A thrust block has circumferentially spaced apart recesses. Rotation of the thrust block is restricted by the first and second pairs of pinion gears being in communication with the recesses. A spring biases the thrust block into engagement with one of the side gears. | 01-22-2009 |
| 20090093333 | AXLE ASSEMBLY WITH ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC CLUTCH CONTROL SYSTEM - An axle assembly for a vehicle. The axle assembly includes an input shaft, a first and second output shaft, and a differential assembly. The axle assembly also includes a clutch assembly with an input member coupled to the differential assembly, an output member coupled to one of the first output shaft and the second output shaft, and a clutch member that selectively couples the input and output members. The axle assembly also includes a pump that supplies pressurized fluid to the clutch to control coupling of the input and output members. The axle assembly further includes a motor that drives the pump. The speed of the motor is controllable in order to change a fluid pressure supplied by the pump. The change in fluid pressure from the pump actuates the clutch member to thereby vary the torque between the first output shaft and the second output shaft. | 04-09-2009 |
| 20090156346 | ELECTRONICALLY ACTUATED APPARATUS USING SOLENOID ACTUATOR WITH INTEGRATED SENSOR - A locking differential assembly with a differential case, a gearset, a first dog, a second dog and a thrust member. The differential case has a mounting hub. The gearset is disposed in the differential case and has a side gear. The first dog is coupled to the side gear. The thrust member is slidably supported on the mounting hub and has projections that extend through apertures in the differential case and engage the second dog. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20110015025 | PRE-LOAD MECHANISM FOR HELICAL GEAR DIFFERENTIAL - A differential assembly for a vehicle includes a differential casing rotatable about an axis. The differential casing defines a cavity. A pair of side gears is disposed within the differential casing cavity. First and second pairs of pinion gears are rotatably positioned in the cavity in driving engagement with the side gears. A thrust block has circumferentially spaced apart recesses. Rotation of the thrust block is restricted by the first and second pairs of pinion gears being in communication with the recesses. A spring biases the thrust block into engagement with one of the side gears. | 01-20-2011 |