Interrelated power delivery controls – including engine control – Transmission control – With clutch control
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-14
2003-05-13
Bonck, Rodney H. (Department: 3681)
Interrelated power delivery controls, including engine control
Transmission control
With clutch control
C477S091000, C477S124000, C192S021500, C192S048200, C074S339000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06561949
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a coupling assembly and to a method for accelerating a vehicle and operating a transmission utilizing the coupling assembly and more particularly, to a coupling assembly which selectively reduces vehicular inertia and/or selectively slows the speed of an engine, effective to increase the responsiveness of a vehicle and to allow the transmission to be smoothly operated.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There typically exists a certain amount of time between a depression of a vehicular accelerator pedal or member and an acceleration or movement of the vehicle, especially when the vehicle is accelerated or “launched” from rest or an idle state. This lag, often referred to as “acceleration lag”, may be more noticeable (e.g., has a relatively large amount of time) with vehicles having an automated shift manual transmission assembly or an “ASM” type transmission assembly which causes and/or requires an engine to have a speed of about 800 revolutions per minute in the idle state and which further requires the engine to attain a speed of about 2000 rpm before acceleration actually begins. In order to allow the relatively stable speed of about 800 rpm to be obtained, at idle, a certain amount of vehicle inertia is required (e.g., a certain amount of inertial mass is applied and/or coupled to the vehicle's crankshaft). The amount of time required for the engine to operatively obtain the speed of 2000 rpm, from its idle speed, is therefore the “lag time”.
Further, oftentimes a shift in gear positions of an “ASM” type transmission assembly, especially a shift from a first lower gear to a second higher gear (e.g., an “upshift”), causes an undesirable movement (e.g., a “jerking”) of the vehicle which is readily perceptible and annoying to the driver, especially since such shifting “automatically” occurs without the need for the driver to physically manipulate a typical or conventional clutch member. Such “jerking” is typically caused by a torque break, within the ASM transmission assembly, which occurs after the gear shift operation is initiated and continues until the gear shift operation is completed. The duration of time that the torque break occurs during such a gear shift operation is referred to as a “torque break interval” and a relatively long torque break interval causes this undesirable “jerking”.
It is desirable to provide an assembly and methods which utilize the provided assembly to improve vehicle launch (e.g., to reduce or substantially eliminate “lag”) while concomitantly allowing the transmission to be smoothly shifted (e.g., preventing and/or substantially eliminating the undesired vehicle movement or “jerking” associated with a shift in gear positions).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is first non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide an assembly which selectively reduces vehicular inertia, such as and without limitation the amount of inertia which is applied to a crankshaft.
It is a second non-limiting advantage of the present invention to provide an assembly which selectively reduces the speed of an engine, effective to allow a transmission to smoothly transition between a first and a second gear position.
It is a third non-limiting advantage to provide a method for reducing the lag associated with the launch of a vehicle.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, an assembly for use with a vehicle of the type having a crankshaft is provided. The assembly includes a member which may be selectively coupled to the crankshaft; and an assembly which selectively disconnects the member from the crankshaft as the vehicle is accelerated.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for reducing acceleration lag of a vehicle having a certain amount of inertia. The method includes the steps of reducing the certain amount of inertia as the vehicle is launched.
According to a third aspect of the present invention a method for use with a vehicle of the type having an engine which may be selectively operated at a certain speed and a transmission which may be selectively moved from a first gear position to a second gear position is provided. The method is effective to allow the transmission to smoothly move from said first gear position to said second gear position and includes the step of slowing said certain speed of said engine before said transmission is moved from said first gear position to said second gear position.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and by reference to the following drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4445601 (1984-05-01), Hofbauer et al.
patent: 4777843 (1988-10-01), Bopp
patent: 5007303 (1991-04-01), Okuzumi
patent: 5142943 (1992-09-01), Hughes
patent: 5409432 (1995-04-01), Steeby
patent: 6012559 (2000-01-01), Yamamoto
patent: 6319173 (2001-11-01), Patel et al.
Berger Alvin Henry
Cowan Ronald Thomas
Goleski Gregory Daniel
Janson David Allen
Marshall Charles Edward
Bonck Rodney H.
Ford Global Technologies, LLC.
McKenzie Frank G.
Williams Eric M.
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