IP Library Granted Patent US 12,612,967
Granted Patent B1
US 12,612,967 · App. 19/003,584 · Granted Apr 28, 2026

System and method for clutch heating control

Inventor: Nicolas Lenaerts (Bruges, BE)
Assignee: DANA BELGIUM
F16H61/30F16D48/06F16H59/00F16H59/36F16D2500/10412F16D2500/30405F16D2500/3065F16H2059/6807
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,612,967
App. No.
19/003,584
Granted
Apr 28, 2026
Kind
B1
Abstract

A method and system for estimating a temperature of a clutch and a maximum temperature of a clutch are described. In one example, the maximum temperature of the clutch is based on phases of a transmission gear shift. The transmission gear shift may include a power-on downshift and a power-on upshift.

Claims (28)

1 . A method for operating a clutch, comprising:

via a controller, generating an estimate of a temperature of the clutch;

generating a threshold pressure for the clutch based on phases of a gear shift, wherein the threshold pressure is a maximum clutch pressure; and

adjusting operation of a device in response to the threshold pressure.

2 . The method of claim 1 , where the device is a torque source and where torque output of the torque source is adjusted.

3 . The method of claim 1 , where the device is the clutch and where pressure within the clutch is reduced.

4 . The method of claim 1 , where the estimate of the temperature of the clutch is based on a torque capacity of the clutch, and further comprising adjusting operation of the device in further response to the temperature of the clutch.

5 . The method of claim 4 , where the estimate of the temperature of the clutch is further based on a rotational speed of the clutch.

6 . The method of claim 5 , where the estimate of the temperature of the clutch is further based on integrating a heat power of the clutch.

7 . The method of claim 6 , where generating the threshold pressure is further based on a form factor of a clutch profile.

8 . A vehicle system, comprising:

one or more torque sources;

a transmission including a plurality of gear clutches and gears;

a controller including executable instructions that cause the controller to:

adjust a pressure supplied to the one of the plurality of gear clutches in response to a temperature estimate of the one of the plurality of gear clutches and a threshold temperature for the one of the plurality of gear clutches, where the threshold temperature is based on phases of a gear shift; and

determine phases of a scheduled gear shift.

9 . The vehicle system of claim 8 , further comprising generating a threshold pressure based on a form factor for a clutch profile.

10 . The vehicle system of claim 8 , further comprising adjusting torque output of the one or more torque sources in response to a pressure change of the one of the plurality of gear clutches.

11 . The vehicle system of claim 8 , where the phases of the gear shift include a pre-sync/slipsign phase and an overlap off phase.

12 . The vehicle system of claim 8 , where the phases of the gear shift include an overlap on phase and a sync phase.

13 . The vehicle system of claim 2 , where the scheduled gear shift is an upshift or a downshift.

14 . A method for operating a clutch, comprising:

via a controller, integrating a variable over phases of a gear shift to generate a threshold temperature for the clutch; and

adjusting operation of a device in response to a temperature of the clutch and the threshold temperature for the clutch.

15 . The method of claim 14 , where the variable is heat power of the clutch.

16 . The method of claim 15 , where the heat power is based on a torque capacity of the clutch.

17 . The method of claim 15 , where the heat power is further based on a rotational speed of the clutch.

18 . The method of claim 14 , where the device is the clutch.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 27, 2025
From: DANA BELGIUM N.V.
To: DANA BELGIUM
Reel/Frame 073288/0564 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 27, 2024
From: LENAERTS, NICOLAS
To: DANA BELGIUM N.V.
Reel/Frame 069690/0695 →
Continuity (1)
Provisional Application 63559388 · Feb 29, 2024
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US 20130324360A1 · Saito et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
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