Quotables
"Telephone, n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance. "
Ambose Bierce
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7905312 | Driving force transmitting device for four-wheel drive vehicle A driving force transmission device for four-wheel-drive vehicle based on the two-wheel drive of front wheels is provided. In the case of the two-wheel drive of front wheels, a multi-disc clutch mechanism for controlling the driving force distribution to a rear whee... | 03/15/2011 |
| 7793750 | Differential limiting control apparatus for four-wheel drive vehicle Restraining torque TF of an electronic controlled front limited slip differential (5) arranged between right and left front wheels is controlled in accordance with controlling right-left wheel rotational speed difference ΔNF, which is t... | 09/14/2010 |
| 7600599 | Multimodal vehicle traction system This invention relates to multiple driven axle vehicles, and particularly to all-terrain vehicles equipped for rear wheel drive, four wheel drive, and on-demand front wheel drive. The invention is directed toward a system of switchable traction options allowing the ... | 10/13/2009 |
| 7434647 | Driving force control apparatus for four-wheel drive vehicle A driving force control apparatus for a four-wheel drive vehicle is provided for stably launching the vehicle irrespective of whichever condition of a road surface and whether or not a road is gradient. In the driving force control apparatus for a four-wheel drive v... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7421324 | Drive system switching control method In a drive system switching control method of an automotive four-wheeled vehicle for switching two drive systems comprising a two-wheel drive and a four-wheel drive. The method has a step of detecting a steering angle, and a step of inhibiting the drive system switc... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7399250 | All-wheel drive train In an all-wheel drive train for a motor vehicle wherein the drive torque of the engine of the motor vehicle is transmitted from the transmission output shaft partially to the rear axle and partially to the front axle via an offset transmission structure and a latera... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7374012 | Operation control system for small-sized vehicle An operation control system for a small-sized vehicle is capable of reducing an electric power consumption of a battery used for a power steering apparatus. The operation control system includes a main switch configured to turn on/off an engine, and a power switch f... | 05/20/2008 |
| 7357210 | Vehicle power transmission system A vehicle power transmission system comprises: a prime mover mounted on a vehicle body frame; a first axle and a first transaxle for driving the first axle disposed at one of front and rear portions of a vehicle, the first transaxle having a first input part project... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7354373 | Vehicle drive unit, and four-wheel-drive vehicle drive unit A vehicle drive unit including (a) a transversely-mounted engine, (b) a transmission receiving an output of the engine and having an output shaft, and (c) a differential gear device including a ring gear and arranged to transmit an output of the transmission to a pa... | 04/08/2008 |
| 7325640 | Power transmission system for four-wheel drive vehicle A power transmission system for a four-wheel drive vehicle comprises a power transmission mechanism provided in a vehicle arranged such that power is always transmitted to one of two pairs of wheels consisting of a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels, to ... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7315776 | Control device for an at least part-time four-wheel-drive motor vehicle In the case of a control device for an at least part-time four-wheel-driven motor vehicle, having a control unit which can variably distribute the driving torque of a drive unit to primary driving wheels, which are permanently connected with the drive unit, and to s... | 01/01/2008 |
| 7309301 | Transaxle having a differential mechanism and on-demand transfer clutch A powertrain for transmitting power to the drive wheels of a vehicle includes a transaxle case containing a transaxle drive mechanism for producing variable ratios of a speed of its output and a speed of its input, a differential mechanism for transmitting power bet... | 12/18/2007 |
| 7290634 | Vehicle differential control A differential control system for the center and rear differentials of a four-wheel-drive vehicle comprises a controller (28) which receives signals input from a number of sensors including ride height sensors (42, 44, 46, 48). The controller (28 | 11/06/2007 |
| 7291083 | Inter-axle differential assembly An inter-axle differential assembly includes a forward side gear and a rear side gear that are supported by an input shaft. The forward and rear side gears are in meshing engagement with a plurality of inter-axle differential pinion gears that are supported on a spi... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7287619 | Air intake system for off-road vehicle An off-road vehicle includes a frame and four wheels that support the frame. Two seat assemblies are disposed side by side on the frame. The seat assemblies are separated from each other to define a space therebetween. An engine powers the wheels. The engine defines... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7281617 | Active torque coupling with hydraulically-actuated rotary clutch actuator A torque transfer mechanism having a multi-plate friction clutch connecting a pair of rotary members and an electrohydraulic clutch system for controlling engagement of the friction clutch. The electrohydraulic clutch system can include an actuator with first and se... | 10/16/2007 |
| 7278947 | Power transfer unit for four-wheel drive vehicle A drive axle assembly includes first and second axleshafts connected to a pair of wheels and a drive mechanism operable to selectively couple a driven input shaft to one or both of the axleshafts. The drive mechanism includes a differential, first and speed changing... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7278946 | Power transfer device with overrunning mode clutch A controllable, multi-mode, bi-directional overrunning mode clutch and a shift system adapted for use in a power transfer assembly for transferring drive torque from a primary driveline to a secondary driveline so as to establish a four-wheel drive mode. The mode cl... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7264078 | Calibration method for inter-axle differential control system A vehicle includes steerable front wheels, an interaxle differential for transmitting torque from an engine to the front wheels and to rear wheels. The differential includes a controllable clutch operable to control a ratio of front wheel speed to rear wheel speed. ... | 09/04/2007 |
| 7258213 | Power transmission devices having torque transfer coupling with power-operated clutch actuator A torque transfer mechanism is provided for controlling the magnitude of a clutch engagement force exerted on a multi-plate clutch assembly that is operably disposed between a first rotary and a second rotary member. The torque transfer mechanism includes a power-op... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7258185 | Drive power transmission equipment Front and rear wheels Tf, Tr of a motor vehicle driven by an engine 10 are connected through a differential control device 15 which is capable of varying the torque to transmit. When the turning radius of a predetermined one wheel or the motor vehicle ... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7258187 | Torque vectoring axle A drive axle assembly includes a pair of axleshafts connected to a pair of wheels, and a drive mechanism for selectively coupling a driven input shaft to one or both of the axleshafts. The drive mechanism includes first and second drive units that can be selectively... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7254471 | Transfer case having selectable driving modes suited to motor vehicle load and road conditions A motor vehicle powertrain includes a transmission producing multiple speed ratios, and a transfer case including a second input driveably connected to the transmission output, a second output continually driveably connected to a first set of wheels and releasably c... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7229139 | Control system for brake-steer assisted parking and method therefor A system and method of controlling an automotive vehicle includes determining a steering wheel angle, determining a steering wheel direction, determining a steering wheel angular rate and applying brake-steer as a function of steering wheel angle, steering wheel ang... | 06/12/2007 |
| 7220209 | Multimodal vehicle traction system This invention relates to multiple driven axle vehicles, and particularly to all-terrain vehicles equipped for rear wheel drive, four wheel drive, and on-demand front wheel drive. The invention is directed toward a system of switchable traction options allowing the ... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7207110 | Differential housing with integrated ring gear A method is disclosed for making a differential housing having a ring gear integrally formed therein. The method includes the steps of forging a conical frustum from a steel rod; deforming the frustum between upper and lower die halves of a tool to produce a differe... | 04/24/2007 |
| 7201264 | Torque transfer mechanisms for power-operated clutch actuator A clutch actuator for controlling engagement of a friction clutch and having a first actuator plate rotatable about an axis, a second actuator plate adjacent to the first actuator plate, and a ballramp unit disposed between the first and second actuator plates. A pi... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7188017 | Method and apparatus for controlling a transfer case clutch to improve vehicle handling In a motor vehicle driveline having an automatic transmission driveably connected to a transfer case whose output is continually connected to a first output, a clutch, selectively engaged in response to a control signal, driveably connects a second output to the fir... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7181322 | Ammunition loading vehicle and method A motorized hydraulically-operated and driven aircraft loading vehicle is particularly suited for the loading of bombs, which are raised by a pair of hydraulically-operated arms. Vehicle has two selectable operation modes. A first, working mode provides four-wheel h... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7172040 | Riding type mower A work vehicle comprises: a plurality of wheels; a vehicle body supported by the wheels; a transmission case provided on the vehicle body, the transmission case having a first case portion and a second case portion and a middle portion extending between respective l... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7150694 | Power take-off unit for four-wheel drive vehicle A full-time power take-off unit is equipped with a dual-mode bi-directional overrunning clutch and a shift mechanism to establish all-wheel drive and part-time four-wheel drive modes. Further, the power take-off unit includes a disconnect clutch that is controlled b... | 12/19/2006 |
| 7147094 | Drive power transmission control device A drive power transmission control device is provided with an electromagnetic drive power transmission device and an ECU for controlling the application of electric current to an electromagnetic coil of the drive power transmission device. The ECU is bodily provided... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7147076 | Drive system for off-road vehicle An off-road vehicle has front and rear wheels. An engine unit powers the wheels. The engine unit has an output shaft. A front differential is coupled with the front wheels. The front differential has a front input shaft. A front drive connects the output shaft and t... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7143855 | Method for controlling a shiftable clutch in the drive train of a 4-wheel drive motor vehicle A method of controlling a shiftable clutch in a drive train between a front axle and a rear axle of a motor vehicle with a four-wheel drive is provided. One axle is driven directly and the other axle, as a hang-on system, is coupled by way of the clutch. In order to... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7145442 | Vehicle operation display system An apparatus, method, system and/or image editing process for presenting visual displays to the driver of a motor vehicle regarding the real time operating condition of the vehicle systems and components. These include the anti-lock braking system, the stability of ... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7125364 | Control strategy for active torque control A torque transfer mechanism includes a multi-plate clutch assembly that is operably disposed between a first rotary and a second rotary member. A control system determines a desired quantity of torque to deliver to the second rotary member and controls the clutch to... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7124850 | Four wheel drive assembly and a method for utilizing the same A four wheel drive assembly 10 including a torque transfer assembly 60 which operates under the control of the controller 62 and which receives and selectively transfers a certain desired amount of torque to a front axles 14, 15 and to th... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7127342 | Driving force distribution control device for vehicle In a specific control state, confirmation is made whether or not the present torque limiter value exceeds a maximal value of an allowed torque value in the specific control state, and in the event that the present torque limiter value exceeds the maximal value of th... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7127343 | Slip control device of four-wheel-drive vehicle A temporary indicated torque is obtained by taking a conventional dead zone area for a first slip control area, and the value proportional to the slip quantity for a maximum value, this temporary indicated torque is corrected by a correction value according to the t... | 10/24/2006 |
| 7121971 | Automatic transmission A drive unit for driving at least two axles of an all-wheel drive vehicle, having a housing (3), an input gear (5) meshing with an output gear (4) of a gear-shift transmission (2), a center differential (6) coaxially disposed relat... | 10/17/2006 |
