Arrangement and method for operating a variable drive unit

Planetary gear transmission systems or components – Fluid drive or control of planetary gearing – Fluid pump and motor in one of plural paths to or from...

Patent

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

74861, F16H 4704

Patent

active

051354438

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a National Phase application of PCT/EP89/00956 filed Aug. 12, 1989 and based upon German National Application P 38 27 862.6 filed Aug. 17, 1988 under the International Convention.


FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an arrangement and a method for operating a continuously variable drive unit for a motor vehicle with an adjustable internal combustion engine and a transmission with continuously variable speed ratio adapted to be regulated automatically without shifting of the transmission by controlling the speed of the internal combustion engine.


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A control arrangement of a continuously variable power split transmission driven by an internal combustion engine is known (Steuerungen, August 1987, pages 38-36), Wherein a pedal gives a pedal path signal which together with an engine speed signal of the internal combustion engine is involved in the setting of the throttle valve opening and in the control of a servo adjusting device for the continuous variation of the power split transmission. The power split transmission, with a mechanical branch and a hydrostatic branch, comprises multishaft linkages, which superimpose the continuously variable engine speed (rpm) of the hydrostatic branch on the constant input engine speed of the mechanical branch. The mechanical branch of the power split transmission has several modes. The shifting of the modes in the mechanical branch takes place at a synchronous rotational speed of the output linkage shafts of the linkage. In the hydrostatic branch and the linkage input shaft directly driven by the internal combustion engine, the synchronous speed depends on the engine speed of the internal combustion engine The shifting of the stages is monitored by the control device, which, however, does not determine the frequency of these shifting processes.
An essential advantage of continuously variable drive units is that the internal combustion engine can be operated with constant engine speed over the entire speed range, for instance with an engine speed at which the internal combustion engine registers its best fuel consumption value. The changes in the vehicle speed are produced by changes in the transmission ratio. In this way, a well-defined relationship between the transmission ratio and the travel speed of the vehicle results. If the driver selects a speed for the long-term operation of the vehicle , this can be reached exactly at a transmission ratio which corresponds to the one at the shift point or close to one shift point of the mechanical branch of the transmission, so that, when the cruising speed variations are small, this shifting process between two neighboring speed ranges repeats itself frequently. Particularly for agricultural vehicles, which are used on very uneven terrain, the road resistance changes very often and suddenly, and the consequences are oscillations in the travel speed of the vehicle. If, for instance during work in the fields, the agricultural vehicle is operated with a preselected long-term speed coming closely to the one of the shift points, the oscillations in the travel speed lead to frequently repeated shifts between two neighboring speed ranges. This contributes to the increased wear and tear of the transmission in general, but especially of the clutches between linkages and transmission output shafts. Also, the efficiency of the transmission and the general comfort of the vehicle decrease.


OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the invention to create an arrangement and a method for operating a drive unit with a continuously variable reduction ratio, which makes possible the long-term operation of the drive unit at a preselected engine speed of the output shaft of the transmission which is close to a shift point in the mechanical branch of the transmission, thereby eliminating the repeated shifting process.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the invention, this object is attained in that within the region of the shift point

REFERENCES:
patent: 3714845 (1973-02-01), Mooney, Jr.
patent: 3969958 (1976-07-01), Miyao et al.
patent: 3979972 (1976-09-01), Sakai et al.
patent: 4082013 (1978-04-01), Dornfeld et al.
patent: 4183264 (1980-01-01), Reed
patent: 4185521 (1980-01-01), Beals
patent: 4261229 (1981-04-01), Mizuno
patent: 4306467 (1981-12-01), Pollman
patent: 4309917 (1982-01-01), Leet
patent: 4368653 (1983-01-01), Mizuno et al.
patent: 4766779 (1988-08-01), Massy

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Arrangement and method for operating a variable drive unit does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Arrangement and method for operating a variable drive unit, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Arrangement and method for operating a variable drive unit will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-775002

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.