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VEHICULAR PROPULSION SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING THE SAME

Application Number: 20120041621
Publication Date: 2012-02-16
Inventors: GIBBS, JAMES C.; MARUS, JAMES D.

Vehicular propulsion systems and methods for managing propulsion systems are provided. The remaining energy in an energy supply coupled to a propulsion actuator on-board a vehicle is monitored. The energy provided to an on-board auxiliary non-propulsion load device from the energy supply is automatically limited based on the remaining energy in the energy ...

Self-propelled wheel for bicycles and similar vehicles

Application Number: 20120037442
Publication Date: 2012-02-16
Inventor: Radtke, Jeffrey L.

A wheel with a self-contained drive mechanism is provided to propel (or assist in propulsion of) bicycles, tricycles, and similar vehicles. The wheel preferably takes the form of a detachable wheel, which is readily received within the dropouts of a bicycle frame or fork. Thus, the wheel may be added to (or removed from) preexisting standard bicycles and the ...

Narrow Body Ultra Efficient Three Wheeled Electric Vehicle with Automotive Class Feel

Application Number: 20120037441
Publication Date: 2012-02-16
Inventors: Frohnmayer, Mark Douglas; Mohler, Thomas Hynes; Angot, Christopher George; Milligan, Larry William; Chappell, Landon; Jacoby, Ames; Jordan, James K.

A three wheel electric vehicle platform with two wheels in front and one wheel at the rear, a full safety roll cage, a propulsion and steering system operating through the two front wheels, and operator's and passenger's seats mounted in-line along the vehicle centerline. The propulsion system is an electric motor powered by an energy storage device driving a speed reduction and differential with dual outputs suitable for two wheel front drive. The operator's seat is narrower in parts than a ...

METHOD FOR OPERATING AN AUTOMATED GUIDED, MOBILE ASSEMBLY AND/OR MATERIAL TRANSPORT UNIT AND AUTOMATED GUIDED, MOBILE ASSEMBLY AND/OR MATERIAL TRANSPORT UNIT THEREFOR

Application Number: 20120037440
Publication Date: 2012-02-16
Inventor: Bär, Ralf

A method for operating a driverless, mobile assembly and/or material transport unit as a driverless transport system (DTS) with fixed assembly and/or warehousing stations. In this method, a system control device is used for the entire assembly process. The driverless, mobile assembly and/or material transport units comprises a travel device for the traveling movement of the unit, a drive device for the travel device,an energy storage device for providing the energy for the drive device and a ...

THERMAL CONTROL OF A HYBRID POWER TRAIN USING SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS

Application Number: 20120037439
Publication Date: 2012-02-16
Inventors: Wills, J. Stephen; Sujan, Vivek Anand

A system includes a vehicle having a hybrid power train. The hybrid power train has a battery pack with a number of cells. The system further includes a heat transfer device including a shape memory alloy (SMA). The SMA in a low temperature position provides a first heat transfer environment to the battery pack, and in a high temperature position provides a second heat transfer environment to the battery pack. The first heat transfer environment provides a first heat transfer amount to the ...

AUTOMOBILE PROVIDED WITH A POWER SUPPLY BATTERY WHICH IS REMOVABLE BY A VERTICAL MOVEMENT, AND DEVICE FOR INSTALLING AND REMOVING SUCH A BATTERY

Application Number: 20120037437
Publication Date: 2012-02-16
Inventor: Fernandez-Mateo, Jose

A motor vehicle including a structure including a bottom and which bears a motor powered by a removable power supply battery, the structure further including an element for receiving the battery and an attachment mechanism for attaching the battery onto the receiving element. The receiving element and the attachment mechanism are adapted to enable installation of the battery in the receiving element from the underside of the structure by an upward movement towards the structure, and removal of ...

MOTOR UNIT AND VEHICLE EQUIPPED THEREWITH

Application Number: 20120037436
Publication Date: 2012-02-16
Inventor: Kwon, Tack Hwan

A motor unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a bus bar receiving a current from a power supply, a wire that is wound along the bus bar, and a connecting portion that is extended from the bus bar to be electrically connected to one end portion of the wire, wherein the connecting portion has a circular bent portion that is formed along the outer circumference of the wire.

Accordingly, the connecting portion of the bus bar ...

Motor Powered Bicycle Trailer with Integral Hitch Force Metering

Application Number: 20120037435
Publication Date: 2012-02-16
Inventor: Duehring, William K.

A self-propelled trailer may be attached to a bicycle. The speed of the trailer is adjusted based on a signal from a force gauge which indicates whether the bicycle is pulling the trailer or the trailer is pushing the bicycle. In the former situation, the force gauge indicates a tensile load, and in the latter situation, the force gauge indicates a compressive load. Based on the feedback from the force gauge, the speed of the motor attached to the self-propelled trailer is adjusted so that the ...

TRACKED VEHICLE

Application Number: 20120037434
Publication Date: 2012-02-16
Inventors: Godin, Marc-André; Paquet, François

A tracked vehicle (e.g., a tracked carrier vehicle) comprising a plurality of track assemblies for traction of the tracked vehicle. Each of the track assemblies supports a portion of a weight of the tracked vehicle when the tracked vehicle is in use. Each track assembly comprises: a first wheel and a second wheel spaced apart from one another along a longitudinal direction of the tracked vehicle; a number of support wheels arranged in an in-line configuration between the first wheel and the ...

VEHICLE

Application Number: 20120035809
Publication Date: 2012-02-09
Inventor: Kosaka, Yusuke

To provide a vehicle capable of maintaining a stable state when a rider gets on the step plate or get off the step plate. A vehicle is a vehicle that performs a turning movement based on the rotation of step plates on which a rider rides in the left/right direction. The vehicle includes restriction means to enable the rotation of the step plates in the left/right direction to be restricted. The vehicle preferably further includes first control means that controls the restriction means so that ...

Motor and electric power steering apparatus using motor

Application Number: 20120031697
Publication Date: 2012-02-09
Inventor: Matsuda, Kunihiko

A magnetic sensor disposed in an axial direction of a shaft of a motor detects the rotation angle of the rotor by detecting magnetism of the magnet that is disposed on one end of the shaft. A first and second conducting wires extend in parallel with an axis of the shaft, and are equidistantly positioned relative to the axis, on a virtual circle that has a center point on the axis of the shaft. The electric current flowing in the first conducting wire and the electric current flowing in the ...

METHOD FOR STABILIZING A MOTOR VEHICLE, IN PARTICULAR A TWO-WHEELED MOTOR VEHICLE

Application Number: 20120031696
Publication Date: 2012-02-09
Inventor: Wagner, Marcus

In a method for stabilizing a motor vehicle, the current pitch angle is determined and is limited to a boundary pitch angle by an intervention causing the longitudinal acceleration to be ...

STRUCTURE FOR MOUNTING POWER SOURCE APPARATUS

Application Number: 20120031695
Publication Date: 2012-02-09
Inventors: Tsuchiya, Takenori; Oyanagi, Hajime

A structure for mounting a power source apparatus includes a power source apparatus mounted on a vehicle, and a reinforcing member configured to reinforce connection between the power source apparatus and a vehicle body. The power source apparatus has a power source unit and a device fixed to an upper face of the power source unit and having a length in a front-back direction of the vehicle smaller than a length of the power source unit. The reinforcing member extends in a left-right direction ...

SIDE-BY-SIDE VEHICLE

Application Number: 20120031694
Publication Date: 2012-02-09
Inventors: Deckard, Aaron D.; McNutt, Kevin

A side-by-side vehicle comprising a frame and a plurality of ground engaging members is provided. The side-by-side vehicle further includes an operator area having seating and operator controls, and a cargo carrying portion located rearward of the operator area. A floor of the cargo carrying portion includes a movable cover to provide access underneath the cargo carrying ...

SIDE-BY-SIDE VEHICLE

Application Number: 20120031693
Publication Date: 2012-02-09
Inventors: Maher, Jeffrey M.; Schlangen, Adam J.; Nelson, Stephen L.; Deckard, Aaron D.; Gillingham, Brian R.; Nowacki, Phillip A.; Kofstad, Tracy S.; Smith, Mark A.; Kjaer, Curtis R.; Hollman, Keith A.; McNutt, Kevin A.; Rubatt, Jerome J.

A vehicle may include a CVT unit or a power source which requires ambient air. An air inlet for an air intake system coupled to the CVT unit or the power source which requires ambient air may be provided in a side of a cargo carrying portion of the vehicle. The vehicle may include a rear radius arm ...

DRIVE SYSTEM AND MOTOR VEHICLE HAVING SUCH A DRIVE SYSTEM

Application Number: 20120031691
Publication Date: 2012-02-09
Inventors: Fuechtner, Martin; Singer, Simon

A drive system (1) for a drive axle (2) of a motor vehicle has an electric machine (16) that at least partially encloses the drive axle (2) and that is capable of driving the drive axle (2). The electric machine (16) is coupled in a shiftable fashion to the drive axle (2) or is decoupled ...

VEHICLE COMPONENT MOUNTING STRUCTURE

Application Number: 20120031690
Publication Date: 2012-02-09
Inventor: Kanno, Yutaka

A vehicle component mounting arrangement comprises a vehicle body member, a motor, an inverter and an air conditioning compressor. The motor serves as a drive source. The motor has a motor housing that is elastically supported with respect to the vehicle body member inside a motor room. The inverter is electrically connected to the motor to supply a drive current to the motor. The inverter is vertically arranged above the motor inside the motor room such that a vertical space exists directly ...

VEHICLE COMPONENT MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT

Application Number: 20120031689
Publication Date: 2012-02-09
Inventor: Kanno, Yutaka

A vehicle component mounting arrangement is provided with a motor, an inverter, a converter and a charging port. The inverter is electrically connected to the motor to supply a drive current to the motor. The inverter is vertically arranged above the motor such that a vertical space exists directly between the inverter and the motor. The converter is vertically arranged inside a motor room of the vehicle with the inverter extending horizontally outward with respect to the converter in a ...

SIDE-BY-SIDE VEHICLE

Application Number: 20120031688
Publication Date: 2012-02-09
Inventors: Peterson, Robbi L.; Safranski, Brian M.; Brady, Louis J.; Sunsdahl, Richard L.; Deckard, Aaron D.

AUXILIARY POWER UNIT HAVING SELF-CONTAINED ELECTRIC POWER DISTRIBUTION

Application Number: 20120031687
Publication Date: 2012-02-09
Inventors: Omar, Sabrina; Kumar, Pankaj; Dharmadhikari, Yogesh; Renfrow, Allen G; Howard, Charles; Pandit, Sachin

An enclosure (10) contains an APU (12) and an electrical distribution system (14) to form a self-contained module that can be mounted at any suitable location on a truck's exterior, eliminating significant portions of the wire/cable routing that would otherwise typically be ...

Mobile Product Retail System and Methods Thereof

Application Number: 20120031686
Publication Date: 2012-02-09
Inventor: Ferrigni, Max

The present disclosure pertains to a vehicle for transporting or vending refrigerated product having a peripheral body extending vertically from the supporting surface, the peripheral body having a driver area, retail area, and cooling area, a bulk head for dividing the retail area from the cooling area, and an auxiliary power system for powering at least one electrical component, having a battery bank and a charging mechanism, the charging mechanism having a vehicle charging system, shore ...

Vehicle Mounted High Pressure Exhaust Duct Cleaning System

Application Number: 20120031439
Publication Date: 2012-02-09
Inventors: Richie, Gary; Richie, Anthony; Richie, Scott

A vehicle mounted high pressure exhaust duct cleaning system is disclosed. The vehicle mounted high pressure exhaust duct cleaning system includes a van-type truck, an internal combustion engine; a fluid reservoir, a high-pressure fluid pump, and a fluid heater. A method of cleaning exhaust ducts is also ...

MACHINE CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD

Application Number: 20120029768
Publication Date: 2012-02-02
Inventor: ANDERSON, Randall T.

An electronic control module for a machine may include instructions for performing a method. The method may include obtaining a total torque load limit for one or more hydrostatic transmission loops in the machine. The method may also include allocating the total torque load limit between the one or more hydrostatic transmission loops in the form of one or more lower level torque load ...

CAMERA CRANE MOBILE BASE

Application Number: 20120026467
Publication Date: 2012-02-02
Inventor: Chapman, Leonard T.

A camera crane mobile base has a drive motor assembly at each corner of a chassis. The drive motor assemblies may have an electric motor linked to an axle via gearing, and one or more wheels attached to the axle. The electric motors may be separately controlled to propel and steer the mobile base. A column is pivotally attached to the chassis and pivotal in lateral and longitudinal directions via actuators. The drive motor assemblies may be removed from the chassis for storage or transport. ...

BEARING ASSEMBLY FOR A POWER STEERING MECHANISM

Application Number: 20120024618
Publication Date: 2012-02-02
Inventors: Houdayer, Christophe; Charpentier, Jacques; Bussit, Sylvain; Arnault, Benoit; Liverato, Yves; Girardin, Carole

A bearing assembly is for a mechanism including a housing and a rotatable shaft disposed within the housing. The bearing assembly includes a sleeve disposable within the housing and having an inner circumferential surface defining a bore and a radial surface extending radially inwardly from the inner surface. A bearing is disposed within the bore and includes inner and outer races and rolling elements disposed between the races, the inner race being coupleable with the shaft such that the shaft ...

STEERING WHEEL FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE HAVING SUPERIMPOSED STEERING

Application Number: 20120024617
Publication Date: 2012-02-02
Inventors: Markfort, Dieter; Werdin, Philipp

A steering wheel for a motor vehicle is provided. The steering wheel includes a steering wheel rim for rotating actuation of the steering wheel, a steering wheel hub for connecting the steering wheel with a steering shaft of a motor vehicle, a superposition drive for the actuation of a superposition steering by means of which said steering a steering angle created by actuation of the steering wheel rim can be superposed by a superposed angle that can be created by the superposition steering so ...

ELECTROMECHANICAL POWER STEERING SYSTEM WITH A BALL SCREW DRIVE

Application Number: 20120024616
Publication Date: 2012-02-02
Inventors: Birkwald, Frank; Kiforiuk, Alexander

The invention relates to an electromechanical power steering system with a ball screw drive (1), having:

- a hollow shaft motor with a stator (3) which is secured to the housing and a rotatably mounted rotor (4) which is arranged coaxially with a longitudinal axis (2) and is drivingly connected to a hollow shaft ...

METHOD FOR OPERATING A STEERING SYSTEM

Application Number: 20120024615
Publication Date: 2012-02-02
Inventors: Von Tardy-Tuch, Georg; Lunkeit, Daniel

A method for operating a steering system and such a steering system are presented. The steering system includes a steering wheel which acts on a steering rack via a steering pinion of a steering column, wherein a steering torque is transmitted to the steering rack by means of the steering wheel. Furthermore, a steering assistance unit is provided, by means of which a steering assistance torque can be applied to the steering rack A control circuit with which the steering assistance torque is ...

DRIVETRAIN FOR A VEHICLE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING SAME

Application Number: 20120024614
Publication Date: 2012-02-02
Inventors: Sigmund, Joshua D.; Stursa, Darren F.; Alexander, Aaron R.

A vehicle drivetrain can include a primary pair of drive wheels and a secondary pair of drive wheels and can be selectively switched between a two-wheel drive mode and a four-wheel drive mode. When the drivetrain is in the two-wheel drive mode, the secondary pair of wheels are disconnected from the prime mover and the multi-ratio transmission. Also, when the drivetrain is in the two-wheel drive mode, the components used to drive the secondary pair of drive wheels can be rotationally isolated ...

Bicycle Device with Direct Drive Transmission and Hubless Wheels

Application Number: 20120024613
Publication Date: 2012-02-02
Inventor: Souvanny, Nanh

A bicycle device with an internal drivetrain that eliminates any external mechanical drivetrain components. An internal drive gear is driven by user pedal input, which provides torque and rotation to a plurality of gear rods, connecting rods and disk gears. Gear ratio and speed choice is controlled by the drive gear and a first disk gear, which incorporate a variable gear pitch moving radially outward for which to mate with the gear rods. The drivetrain terminates at a hubless rear wheel, which ...

REINFORCED FOAM VEHICLE CHASSIS

Application Number: 20120024612
Publication Date: 2012-02-02
Inventor: Ballard, Lon R.

A light-weight vehicle component such as a vehicle chassis (100) formed from an internally reinforced rigid closed-cell foam (12). The reinforced closed-cell foam vehicle chassis (100) includes an outer layer of rigid closed-cell foam (108a), an inner layer of rigid closed-cell foam (108c), and one or more layers of reinforcing structural material (114) disposed between the inner and outer layers of foam. The reinforced closed-cell foam ...

COOLING AIRFLOW INTAKE STRUCTURE

Application Number: 20120024611
Publication Date: 2012-02-02
Inventor: Ajisaka, Satoshi

A cooling airflow intake structure that can efficiently channel an airflow for cooling from outside a vehicle to a body to be cooled is obtained. The cooling airflow intake structure includes: a power unit that generates a driving force for an automobile to travel; an undercover that covers, from a vehicle underside, a power unit chamber in which the power unit is placed; a cooling unit that is placed on a vehicle rear side of the power unit; a first duct that channels air to the cooling unit ...

Ship and Associated Methods of Formation with Vessels Having Connectable Hulls

Application Number: 20120024220
Publication Date: 2012-02-02
Inventor: Keck, Larry Bradly

A method for transporting. Multiple vessels are provided, each having a hull defining an air cavity over a water surface. Different ones of the vessels are loaded with material destined for different end locations. The vessels are connected to one another with rigid couplings to effect tandem movement of the multiple vessels over water as one ship while permitting each vessel to undergo changes in pitch. The vessels are transported to a first destination. One or more of the vessels is ...

Heater System Media Bed Float Sled and Method of Using the Same

Application Number: 20120023724
Publication Date: 2012-02-02
Inventor: Peterman, John M.

A float sled comprising a body with a substantially flat upper surface, a lift plate operationally associated with the body and adapted to move from a first position in proximity to the upper surface of the body to a second position above the first position and above the body, a set of pneumatic air bag lifts associated with the lift plate to raise and lower the lift plate to various horizontal orientations with differing degrees of tilt, and an air bearing adapted to raise the body above the ...

ELECTRIC POWER STEERING APPARATUS AND ASSEMBLY METHOD THEREFOR

Application Number: 20120018242
Publication Date: 2012-01-26
Inventor: YAMAMOTO, Yasuharu

An electric power steering apparatus includes a gear housing that has a pulley space in which a driven pulley, a driving pulley and a timing belt that are placed so as to be operatable and which communicates with the outside of the gear housing. The gear housing also has a motor-side hole into which a drive shaft of an electric motor is inserted, and a pulley-side hole into which the drive pulley is inserted and which is formed at a position opposite the motor-side hole across the pulley ...

MAGNETOSTRICTIVE TORQUE SENSOR AND ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING DEVICE

Application Number: 20120018241
Publication Date: 2012-01-26
Inventors: Shimizu, Yasuo; Yoneda, Atsuhiko; Arimura, Yutaka; Oniwa, Yoshihiro

Disclosed are a magnetostrictive torque sensor and an electrical power steering device, wherein a first torque sensor has: one magnetostrictive film provided on a steering shaft; a first coil and a second coil that detect changes in the magnetic characteristics of the magnetostrictive film; and a first housing that contains, at least, the steering shaft, the magnetostrictive film, the first coil, and the second coil. The first housing has a resin part, a cylindrical part made of a metal that is ...

OPERATOR MONITORING SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE

Application Number: 20120018240
Publication Date: 2012-01-26
Inventors: Grubaugh, James; Rood, Christopher Donald; Roberson, Cory Dean; Zimnicki, James John

A vehicle has an operator monitoring system that includes an operator sensor configured to sense whether the operator is in a proper operating position within the operator cab and a control module connected to the operator sensor wherein when the vehicle is running and the operator sensor senses that the operator is not in the proper operating position, the control module activates safety features to stop the truck, including any one or a combination of activating the main brake, activating the ...

VEHICLE BATTERY COOLING STRUCTURE

Application Number: 20120018238
Publication Date: 2012-01-26
Inventors: Mizoguchi, Satoru; Yamashita, Shinya; Fukuchi, Kentaro

A vehicle battery cooling structure is provided with a vehicle body, a battery unit and a cooling jacket. The vehicle body includes a floor panel and a vehicle body frame member. The battery unit is attached to the vehicle body frame member. The battery unit is arranged below the floor panel. The battery unit includes a battery case and a battery. The cooling jacket is attached to a laterally extending rearward surface of the battery case that houses the ...

BATTERY MOUNTING ASSEMBLY

Application Number: 20120018237
Publication Date: 2012-01-26
Inventors: Kovach, Steven; Boettcher, Eric; Augustine, Robb L.; Strock, II, Nicky Thomas

A battery mounting assembly for a vehicle includes a battery tray configured to carry an associated vehicle battery and a battery tray support structure mounted to an underside of the vehicle. The battery tray is slidably mounted to the battery tray support structure for movement between a first operational position and a second maintenance position. The second maintenance position is laterally spaced apart from and below the first operational ...

BATTERY-POWERED MINING VEHICLE

Application Number: 20120018235
Publication Date: 2012-01-26
Inventors: O'Quinn, Roger L.; Looney, Jeffrey D.

A device for controllably supporting a battery includes an arm, a first protrusion, a second protrusion, and a cylinder actuator. The arm has a compartment formed in the arm and an opening extending through the arm at a base of the compartment. The cylinder actuator includes a piston connected to a rod, and is positioned substantially in the compartment of the arm. The rod extends toward the opening of the arm, and the rod moves through the opening during operation of the cylinder actuator. ...

ELECTRIC MOTOR AND BRAKE ASSEMBLY

Application Number: 20120018234
Publication Date: 2012-01-26
Inventors: Jindra, John; Pandya, Nirav; Strothmann, Thomas; Tuckowski, Thomas; Bekoscke, Robert; Waterman, George H.

A motor and brake assembly includes a mounting member. A stator winding assembly, a brake assembly, a hub, and a rotor magnet assembly. The stator winding assembly is mounted to the mounting member. The brake assembly is operably connected to the mounting member. The hub is rotatably coupled to the mounting member. The rotor magnet assembly is mounted to an inside of a radially outer wall of the hub. The brake assembly is operable to move a component of the brake assembly between an engaged ...

WALKING-ASSISTANT DEVICE

Application Number: 20120018233
Publication Date: 2012-01-26
Inventors: Jo, Byeong Rim; Min, Byunghoon; CHANG, Yoon Young; Park, Juhn Ho; Dan, Byungju; Jun, Hong Gul

A walking-assistant device is provided comprising a driving unit that includes four wheels and four actuators for adjusting heights of the four wheels, a mechanism unit that includes two vertical frames whose length is adjusted and connection frames for fixing and connecting the vertical frames, and a manipulation unit that includes a plurality of sensors for grasping a user's moving intention and controls the driving unit and the mechanism unit based on a signal detected by the ...

OMNI TRACTION WHEEL SYSTEM AND METHODS OF OPERATING THE SAME

Application Number: 20120018232
Publication Date: 2012-01-26
Inventor: Uehara, Yasuo

The present invention is an omni traction wheel system, which adopts an integrated differential mechanism to generate longitudinal and lateral traction forces. The omni traction wheel system may include a rotary device that delivers two individually controllable rotational forces, the differential output of which may drive a plurality of peripheral wheels to rotate laterally, and the common output of which may drive a pair of longitudinal plates to rotate longitudinally. Accordingly, the omni ...

ENERGY-RECOVERING MOTOR VEHICLE

Application Number: 20120018231
Publication Date: 2012-01-26
Inventor: Bakraoui, Said

An energy-recovering motor vehicle (1) is described, equipped with at least one turbine (3; 3b) arranged inside a space (5; 5b) inside such motor vehicle (1), such space (5; 5b) communicating with the outside environment through at least one suction manifold (7; 7b) and at least one exhaust duct (9; 9b), the turbine (3; 3b) being rotated by at least one air current (11) generated by an ...