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US 8,410,401 B2Granted
Powertrain driveline warm-up system and method
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsSteven Thomas, John Edward Brevick
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A powertrain/driveline warm-up system includes a vehicle controller, an electrical power source interfacing with the vehicle controller, at least one heater interfacing with the vehicle controller and at least a portion of a vehicle powertrain provided in thermal contact with the at least one heater.
Claims19
A powertrain warm-up system, comprising:
- at least one onboard programmable controller, said controller configured to execute programmed instructions stored in controller readable memory;
- an electrical power source interfacing with said at least one controller;
- at least one heater comprising at least one resistive heating element interfacing with said at least one controller;
- and
- at least a portion of a vehicle powertrain comprising engine and/or transmission oil is in thermal contact with said at least one heater;
- wherein said at least one controller is configured to flow electrical current from said at least one electrical power source to said at least one heater in response to sensing vehicle activation and vehicle inactivation and sensing at least one of a temperature of said engine and/or transmission oil and a temperature of said at least one resistive heating element.
3 more elements
A powertrain warm-up system, comprising:
- at least one onboard programmable controller, said controller configured to execute programmed instructions stored in controller readable memory;
- an electrical power source interfacing with said at least one controller;
- at least one heater comprising at least one resistive heating element interfacing with said at least one controller;
- and
- at least a portion of a vehicle powertrain comprising engine and/or transmission oil is in physical contact with said at least one heater;
- wherein said at least one controller is configured to flow electrical current from said at least one electrical power source to said at least one heater in response to sensing vehicle activation and vehicle inactivation and sensing at least one of a temperature of said engine and/or transmission oil and a temperature of said at least one resistive heating element.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.