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US 8,265,842 B2Granted
Electronic locking differential
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsJacob M. Povirk, John R. Saieg, Gary M. Pietrzyk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for controlling a clutch of an electronic locking differential for a vehicle includes determining either that a speed of the vehicle is less than a reference speed or that a desired state of the clutch is a disengaged state, determining that an angular displacement of a steering wheel from a centered position is less than a first reference angle, and disengaging the clutch.
Claims6
A method for controlling a clutch of an electronic locking differential for a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
- (a) determining either that a speed of the vehicle is greater than a reference speed or that a desired state of the clutch is a disengaged state;
- (b) determining that an angular displacement of a steering wheel from a reference position is less than a first reference angle;
- (c) disengaging the clutch;
- (d) using a controller to determine if neither the speed of the vehicle is greater than the reference speed nor the desired state of the clutch is the disengaged state, determining that the displacement of the steering wheel changes from greater than a second angle to less than the second angle;
- (e) disengaging the clutch after a first period expires.
2 more elements
A system for controlling an electronic locking differential for a vehicle, comprising:
- a clutch that alternately locks and unlocks the differential;
- a spring that urges the clutch to unlock;
- an electric power source;
- an electromagnetic coil that urges the clutch to lock in response to current applied to the coil from the electric power source;
- and
- a controller configured to determine either that a speed of the vehicle is less than a reference speed or that a desired state of the clutch is a disengaged state, determine that an angular displacement of a steering wheel from a centered position is less than a first reference angle, allow the clutch to unlock by opening an electric connection between the coil and the electric power source, to determine that the displacement of the steering wheel changes from greater than a second angle to less than the second angle, if neither the speed of the vehicle is less than the reference speed nor the desired state of the clutch is the disengaged state, and to disengage the clutch after a first period expires.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.