Electrically-driven position changing apparatus

Details Electrically-driven position changing apparatus Electrically-driven position changing apparatus

1999-09-27

2001-05-15

Wright, Dirk (Department: 3681)

Machine element or mechanism

Gearing

Interchangeably locked

C074S473120

Reexamination Certificate

active

06230576

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a position changing apparatus, such as a shift range changing apparatus for vehicle automatic transmissions which changes the shift ranges by actuators such as electric motors.
2. Related Art
It is known (e.g., JP-A-5-44511) to use a direct current electric motor as a drive source for changing gear shift ranges in a vehicle automatic transmission in response to a vehicle driver's operation of a gear shift lever. If the electric motor or a drive circuit fails, however, changing the shift ranges is disabled.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,115 (JP-A-3-255252) proposes to use two pairs of a direct current motor and a drive circuit. One pair is used normally, and the other pair is used upon failure of the one pair so that the shift range changing operation may be enabled by either one of the pairs. However, the two pairs will result in the increase in the number of component parts and in the apparatus cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electrically-driven position changing apparatus which can be used as a shift range changing apparatus for vehicle automatic transmissions which enables a shift range changing operation continuously even upon occurrence of failure with less increase in the number of component parts and the apparatus cost.
According to the present invention, a single actuator such as an electric motor is used to actuate a position changing apparatus such as a shift range changing mechanism for a vehicle automatic transmission. The motor has a plurality of torque generating units each of which is capable of generating a torque sufficient to effect any position changes of the shift range changing mechanism. All of the torque generating units are driven electrically normally in response to a shift range change command. Operation of each torque generating unit is monitored separately from each other. When one of the torque generating units fails in operation, the torque generating unit in failure is not driven but the other torque generating units are driven to effect a shift range change. The failure of the torque generating units is indicated. The motor may be a brushless type or a reluctance type.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5094115 (1992-03-01), Michihira et al.
patent: 3-234965 (1991-10-01), None
patent: 5-44511 (1993-02-01), None
patent: 6-40513 (1994-05-01), None
patent: 7-26060 (1995-03-01), None

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